FANTASTIC signage! One of the best marked courses I've seen (and I've played 82+ so far.) So pleasurable to play a well marked course. ... Nice tight lines/fairways. ... Concrete tee pads, albeit a bit short. ... An actual difference between long 'n short tees.

It was a bit muddy and slippery, but it was raining when I played! ... I could see it becoming quite dense if you leave the fairway in the summer, but I played in the spring so it was no problem.

Did I mention great signage?! .. I was passing through the area so I only played 2 rounds, but it was a fun course that was well marked for a first time playing the course.

~Interesting terrain, good use of elevation and natural growth
~Duel tee pads create variety on each hole
~Exceptional navigation
~Concrete tee pads, flags on some baskets
~Some benches scattered throughout

~Course is still relatively young, needs worked in and cleaned up
~Short pads are too short for a proper x-step
~Course holds water throughout and can be sloppy

Played a casual round followed by a fun filled tournament the next day. Both rounds were played from the short tee pads. This course is easy to discover from the church parking lot and is laid out very nicely. Half of the course plays along smaller trees and rough brush with tight lines and fairways. The other half dives into a more mature wooded setting with greater elevation challenges.

The long and short tee pads are vastly different from one another which allows for a great variety within the course. Both sets are fairly technical, and even the shorts with most distances hovering around the 200'-230' range still require skilled throws to score well.

Navigation is wonderful, plenty of next tee signs and directional aids to guide you with ease. The short pads are two to three feet too short to provide enough length for a proper X-step, not a deal breaker since stand and deliver on most of the shorts is more than enough.

Overall the land carves out a fun filled course, nice variety and some beautiful holes. It's still fairly new and there is no doubt this this course will continue to improve. The biggest issue is the amount of standing water, there are numerous soggy/saturated areas so be prepared for some sloppy conditions during the wet seasons.

A unique well cared for church course that I will enjoy visiting again and again. It's nestled in a nice town with some other good courses nearby.

A very well marked course, easy to navigate. Signage in place to play only the "old/original/front nine" holes (1-4, 14-18) or the more wooded and more challenging "new/middle/back nine". Short tees are just challenging enough for beginner players, long tees add difficulty for more experienced players. A good mix of flatter, more open holes on the original 9, with more wooded and slightly hillier holes on the new 9. Course is actively maintained and improved by a great group of hardworking volunteers.

The new/middle 9 (holes 5-13) are still fairly new, and are not well-worn yet. This will definitely be remedied by more people just getting out there and playing them. Tee boxes are crushed asphalt or natural (grass/dirt), which can make footing a bit awkward on a couple holes, but the church is planning on adding concrete tee pads eventually when funding allows.

Please come enjoy this course - the more people that play, and spread the word, the better it is going to become! If you play, please share your thoughts/comments/compliments/concerns with the JUMC DGC team - this is meant to be a course for everyone to enjoy, so let them know how they can help you to make the most of it!

Chain Catcher baskets are the best! Thanks for installing nice chains! Loved the high flags. Very helpful.

The short tees were pretty straight forward, but, after all, isn't that the point? Give the trees on this course a few years to grow and it should be really fun. The long tees looked really interesting, with some chains out of sight of the tee, but so much prairie grass has grown up I would lose sight of some distance flex shots. I will definitely be back with more players to spot and give the longs a try.

Very nice use of this property that otherwise would only be good for dirt bike racing or rabbit hunting.

Very well marked which I am thankful for as parts were so overgrown I would have been lost.

Looking at the pictures, I think the church mowers have let a bit of this course go. There are a few one mower passes down the middle of some of these "fairways". A sort of prairie grass is everywhere, making it a bit difficult to locate some of my discs. I was concerned enough looking at some of the overgrowth that I decided to only play the short tees. In this condition, you will need a spotter on some of the long throws.

There are bits of this property that are marshy and mucky after rains. When I was there, hole #9 short tee was un-usable. I threw from the side just fine.

Some of the tee areas have become very rough and pitted. This has been fixed on some tees with asphalt chunks to mixed results. Watch your footing.

This is a "back brush" kind of course. While there, I saw deer tracks everywhere and even managed to kick up a rabbit and a wild turkey. (Warning about turkeys, they can explode out of brush and scare the daylights out of you! Fair warning!)

Overall, this was a fun and different course from the typical baskets in the park. A big "Thank You" to Johnson Methodist Church for putting this course in and letting us play it! I will certainly be back to try the long tees!

The Back 40 at Johnson UMC is a secluded piece of property behind the church campus. The course, now 18 holes, is carved out of scenic woods and grassland.

+ You're greeted at the entrance with a beautiful hand carved arch. The kiosk area has a lost disc return, information board, and even beginner disc bags for newbies to borrow. There is also a practice basket.
+ When I initially played and reviewed this course almost four years ago, it was in its very early stages and pretty rough around the edges. Fast forward to now, and the course is maintained with an exceptional amount of detail. Fairways are trimmed, with the "rough" in most spots being easy to navigate.

+ Speaking of "easy to navigate", this course has the best signage out of any course played to date. It's one of those rare courses that you don't have to rely on UDisc at all to play.

+ There are two permanent sets of concrete tees. Not only do the tees vary significantly in distance, but they provide new angles to make it feel like a completely different hole. They even installed "super short" tees for beginners. This course appeals to anyone from the beginner to the pro.

+ A wide variety of shots are required. Many holes have several routes to the basket. This course was really well designed to take full advantage of the property.

+ Despite the lack of any water hazards, there are a few holes with swampy "bunker" areas. All OB is clearly marked with signs and ropes.

- There isn't any elevation changes or real signature holes that will blow you away. Just 18 holes of quality disc golf, which is hard to complain about.

- The tee signs on the newer holes don't have hole maps on them.

The Back 40 won't get heaps of praise, but it deserves to be listed among some of the better courses in the area. The amenities are top notch, the design is fantastic, and the course overall is very fun. Highly recommended!