This is an immaculate course with 19 amazing holes. Score cards were available at the beginning of the course. Each hole has a concrete pad, and a sign which indicates hole#, hole length, par, and also will indicate if there is an alternate tee and what that par is. For the first 7 or 8 holes each tee had a broom too. After finishing each hole there will be a blue sign pointing you to the next tee area, making it really easy to navigate. I noticed trash cans at almost every hole. This course is definitely a hike and you will have plenty of uphill treks, so it was nice to have a few well placed benches.

To be totally honest I personally didn't have anything bad to say about this course. Some people may not like that this course is really a workout, and you will have plenty of uphill and downhill walking, but this was not a problem in my book. The only other thing I could think of would be that there were a couple pads that were only half the size of the rest, but that could just be because they haven't finished them yet.

I was really pleasantly surprised with this course. There are really some phenomenal hole layouts one of my personal favorites was hole 11 which was a long par 5 straight up a huge hill. Hole 13 was another personal favorite with the tee at the top of a huge hill and a fairway that goes through a small group of trees then opens up to a wide open area. This was the funnest course I have played and I loved the way you played up and down the big hills with plenty of chances to "grip and rip". There were so many great holes and so much amazing scenery that my review would never do this course justice. I highly recommend getting out to this course and giving it a try.

- Good variety of shots, open at the beginning, wooded in the middle, up and down throughout.
- Course is at its best when it plays as a straight up woods course like Myles Kimmerly. Holes 5-8 were the best, in this regard.
- Benches are strategically placed after most of the uphill walks. Trash can at every hole. Port-a-potty on site. No brooms, though.
- Several chances to empty your bag trying for that perfect hilltop drive.
- Good pin placement makes the roll-away a definite possibility. It adds another dimension that you have to consider before attempting your long putt.

- Navigation, especially on the first three or four holes before you walk up the hill, is abysmal. When you walk up to the first tee box you see three tee pads and no baskets anywhere in sight. I understand that I should have printed a map, but to have a new course with no footage, no map of the hole at the teepad, and no numbers on the baskets is unforgivable.
- Teepads are too short. Piling up sand around them in an attempt to make them seem bigger doesn't improve the situation, it only makes the concrete sandy and slippery.
- Alternate teepads on some of the holes, but not all of them. On some holes, particularly hole #11, you can't see the alternate tee pad from the long pad. This is a big deal when you waste two throws throwing up a huge hill before getting to the top and seeing the teepad that you'd have preferred to throw from. Again, there's no reason that the alternate teepad can't be noted somehow at the long pad.
- Sand, Sand, Sand. There are some holes, like hole #9 and hole #17, where you won't step on any grass at all on your walk from the teepad to the basket. Makes for annoyingly treacherous footing.
- The downhill shots are mediocre at best when compared to hole #1 at Ludington Beast and hole #19 at Hickory Hills. Considering how much work is involved in climbing back up the hills after a downhill shot, I groaned every time I saw a downhill shot on the back 9 because I knew it meant I'd have another big hike in another hole or two.
- Hole #18/#19 was frustrating. #18 is a 600 foot gradual walk down the mountain on grass (!) which feels pretty good until you get to the basket and see where the little blue arrow is pointing. You guessed it, you get backtracked back to the top of the hill where there's no bench to greet you. Instead you're supposed to feel grateful to the course designer for one more downhill hike before you get to your car.

The fun factor here is pretty low. I've hiked my fair share of hilly courses, like Water Works in KC and Holler in the Hills in KY. Never at those other courses did I come this close to losing my lunch. I'll admit I'm not a stunning physical specimen, but the fact is I wouldn't be complaining if the elevation changes here were actually worth the effort. You can't just put four teepads on top of hills and expect them all to automatically be signature holes. There has to be thought put into it, or at least some sort of anticipation and payoff. More isn't necessarily better.

Combine the questionable design with poor footing, confusing navigation, and short teepads, and you've got the makings of a forgettable course that you won't be in a hurry to revisit.

I'm sure the navigation issues will be solved with time, heck, if they'd just invest in some decent signs that tell you how far and where you should be throwing it'd garner a half-disc increase in my rating. My other concerns, unfortunately, seem to be set in stone... or sand, in this case.

From precision shots through trees, to dramatic elevation differences Hanson Hills has something for everyone. Starting near the parking lot the course stays flat for the first couple holes and varies in and out of trees. At Tee 3 the course begins the first of three accents up large hills.

This course is new, and we were happy to discover all the Concrete Tees are in and the signs are well marked.

Tees 9, 12 & 19 have particularly stunning shots downhill with long distances to let er rip.

With garbage cans at almost all Tees, and Benches at many, this course is well stocked for the long trip up and down the hills.

At the 12th Basket our party headed mistakenly for the 14th Tee, not realizing that we should take a hard left up the neighboring hill to the 13th Tee. If there was signs, we missed them.

Walking slowly down the 19th fairway was a little unstable. The grade of the hill is so steep, that even with no moisture, the leaves on the grass caused 2 in our party to slip and fall... Be careful.

From Tee 13 until you get to Tee 18, there is a lot of sand... While the course itself is great to play, the sun beats down on the open sand and can make this course a scorcher in the Summer. Bring Fluids!

This course is not for anyone who isn't prepared to do a lot of hiking up and down. Be prepared to climb and descend a lot.

Tee 19's vista is incredible. While the decent merits caution, I felt like I was throwing my disc off a natural skyscraper... This site is worth going out of my way to play.

We took 3 hours to complete with 5 players... and almost no one on the course. A real cardio workout.. but well worth it! Hanson Hills is a new bright star in the Northern Michigan scene.

The course is very well laid out, with the start easy to find after the large Rotary Club sign (they were kind enough to pony up the dough.) This course has a fantastic blend of holes, with tight woods, wider alleyways, and a couple of wide open field shots. There is only one hole <200 ft, but a strong arm will have an advantage only when accompanied by accuracy.

Each hole had a butt can and a garbage can, and more often than not, a bench. The signage, while primitive, was effective on all holes but one (13), and there were ample next tee signs.

***UPDATE 5/30/10
The signage and tee for 13 has been placed higher, in a much more appealing location. A spotter is advised as an errant high drive can easily disappear beyond line of sight.
***

The signage is primitive. Hopefully these are temporary signs, as the inclusion of distance measurements and a picture of the hole would do wonders for game-play. The natural tees were serviceable, but wouldn't hold up for long. Not an issue as new cement tees were beginning to be installed as we left

***UPDATE 5/30/10
Concrete tees are fully installed and are 2 generously sized segments, one in front of the other. Short holes (e.g.2, 16, etc.) have only one tee segment making a full X-step difficult, so plan on standing drives for these. This struck me as being unnecessarily frugal.
***

For a course on a ski hill, there is not a lot of drastic elevation utilized within individual holes. Apart from hole 11, which is a marathon uphill, only 4 and 15 have upshots at the end of the hole, which you can find at many courses with flatter terrain. Hole 12 is a significant downhill bomb, but only 9, 13 and 19 have a noticeable downhills. The main ski runs are unused.

The remainder of shots are relatively level from tee to basket, and the treks from hole to hole are what incorporate uphill/downhill climbs, notably before 5, 13, 16, and 19.

Even without cement pads, I enjoyed my round here so much, I am already planning my next visit. This is still a work in progress, but all the signs point to a first class course when they are finished.

The day I played was very hot, and there isn't the wind you will encounter playing courses closer to Michigan lakes. Bring lots of water, and sunscreen as well. Even though many holes are wooded, the walks between the holes are not. Appropriate hiking/climbing footwear is highly recommended.

There is a very bizzarely placed cemetary just after the basket of hole 16. A fair amount of energy was employed to create it, yet it is only a few thousand square feet near the summit of the hill. Be careful to not accidentally uncork one off the 16th tee as you could end up within the security fence, and I am sure it is to be considered OB from a stroke perspective.

Once there are cement tees and improved signage in place, I may increase my rating to a 4, but even with that, the lack of amateur tees on every hole and more significant elevation changes within holes will be what keep this course from getting near a 4.5 rating from me.

A great course, and a great time. Catch a round if you can.

Very challenging course. Lots of elevation, very good use of ski area terrain good mix of open and wooded shots. Great views from the top. If you like Flip City and Hickory Hills, you can add this one to your list.

The permanent tee pads are not in yet. Some of the tees are breaking down (sandy)and I'm sure they will get worse.
Some may find the hike a con, There are long and sometimes steep climbs up and down.
Course in not marked very well, but it is a very new course.

We played our first round with a local, He knew his way around the course, so we had no trouble finding our way. I would advise to print out the map in the links. That should get you around the course.
He also told us the new pads will be in soon and signage will also be added.
As always bring your fav liquid refreshments.