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Custer, MI

Whiskey Hills DGC

3.455(based on 10 reviews)
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22 0
DFrah
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 6 years 235 played 231 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Whiskey on the rocks...in the hills...

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 1, 2022 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

I'm not quite sure where I was going with that title...

Whiskey Hills DGC is at Whiskey Creek Campground, which is located well off the beaten path about a half hour's drive southeast of Ludington, MI.

Put simply, this 24-hole round is an amazing experience. It doesn't look like much from the parking lot, but there are HILLS here. You will be throwing up, down, and across them on almost every hole. Once you get out of sight of your vehicle after hole 3, you will basically not see another flat hole for the rest of the course. The elevation and trees are used to create an amazing variety of holes, challenging you to hit all kinds of different shots if you want to score well. There aren't any wide open holes here, but none that are unfairly tight either. The lines are there to hit - can you hit them? A couple of baskets are raised for added challenge. Distances range from 191' to 485', with two par 4s that I will get to in a second. The average hole distance is just over 300'.

Generally speaking, the course is beautiful. The course stays in the woods for the most part, but there are plenty of nice views to be had along the rolling wooded hillsides. Several fairways have large rocks strewn about, and in some places smaller rocks are stacked vertically - perhaps an influence from Flip City about a half hour's drive south of here. At a couple of places the trees part and it is possible to see further away across the surrounding area, or out to two small nearby lakes.

There are tons of great holes here - it's difficult for me to pick highlights. Thinking about it four days later, I would say the most memorable holes for me were a stretch in the middle of the course from #11-13. Hole 11 plays down a significant slope but also curls sharply to the right. Several trees and large rocks prevent an easy path to the basket down in a gully. Hole 12 plays back up a different section of the same hill. This slope is STEEP! The hole is only listed at 272', but I was thankful it was a par 4 and felt fortunate to make par. The next hole #13 is the longest on the course, and another par 4. This one plays down a valley and up the other side, then continues along the top of a ridge to the basket. Both lakes I mentioned before are visible in the distance from the end of the ridge.

Hole 16 is also memorable, playing downhill out of a narrow gap in the woods to a raised basket with water behind the hole. The water is far enough behind that I don't really consider this a water hole, but maybe big arms could reach it if they really over-throw the basket.

There are a couple other memorable holes that deserve a mention too, but I want to keep this review at only a short thesis length. :)

The baskets are red, white, and blue Chainstars in great condition. They are easy to spot in the woods.

The navigational signage is decent - there are small but brightly painted arrows nailed to trees around most baskets pointing towards the next hole.

There is a kiosk next to the front door of the general store on one side of the parking lot, plus a box containing scorecards and course maps. Two practice baskets are located at the opposite side of the parking lot.

You could easily play holes 1-8 and 24 for a 9-hole round, although I'm not sure why you would do that if you took the time to drive all the way here.

Cons:

The tee areas here could use an upgrade. A couple of the tee pads near the beginning of the course are huge arrays of perfectly flat patio pavers, which is very nice. But after that the quality falls off precipitously. All of the remaining tee pads are concrete, but they vary in size and condition. Many were cracked and/or too small to get a good run-up. It honestly looked like the designers tried to re-use scrap chunks of cement instead of investing in newly poured pads, and the results are a solid "meh." The tee signs are also just OK. I appreciated the artistic style of the signs, which show the hole number, distance (in a whiskey barrel), and the same illustration of two hills and three trees for each hole. I didn't appreciate the lack of par information and the small arrow which just indicated a rough line for the hole. With so many blind throws, I would like to see a better map for each hole. I teed off at the wrong angle a couple of times and played to an incorrect basket once, costing me extra strokes.

I noted a couple of minor safety concerns.
- The lightly-travelled road the campground is on could come into play on the first hole, and the campground entrance drive is in play on both holes 1 and 2. It would take an errant throw to reach either drive, but definitely possible.
- To return to your car after hole 24, you have to pass near hole 2's basket which is blind from the tee.

I don't recall seeing a bench on the course - and there were definitely times I found myself wanting one! A couple more trash cans would be nice too.

There appeared to be quite a few thorn bushes in the rough. Tread carefully!

Other Thoughts:

With all of the hiking up and down hills, this course can be very tiring and will take some time to play. Bring plenty of water and plan on two hours minimum on site (for a solo round).

This course costs $5/day to play. You can pay cash at a drop box outside of the general store, or pay cash or card inside if it is open (it was not open when I visited on a Sunday afternoon in early May). I assume there is also a restroom inside the store.

There is spotty to no cell service here. Plan accordingly.

On a personal note, this was my 100th course played - and it was worthy of the milestone! This course is a must-play for those travelling to the area to visit Flip and the Ludington courses, or anyone who lives within a reasonable drive. I like this course more than Goliath and the new Leviathan layout, and it is at least on par with Beauty and Beast. Out of my 100 courses, this one reminded me more strongly of Flip than any other. It generally plays a little tighter than Flip but it has a similar feel between the elevation challenges, great hole design, beautiful secluded setting, and rocks stacked in the fairways.

To really pour on the compliments, the other course this one reminded me of a little bit is Wilderness Campground in Wisconsin. If the tee pads and signs were upgraded here and a second set was added along with a second set of baskets/pin positions, we could be talking about two pretty similar courses.

I think this one sits at about a 4.25 rating today, so I waffled between giving a 4.0 or 4.5 but ultimately decided to round up. With improved pads and signs, this is a clear 4.5. TL/DR: PLAY IT!!!

UPDATE JULY 2023: I finally returned to this one a couple of days ago. The rough is thick in the summer, although not terrible. Just watch where you are throwing. I had a very poor throw off of #22's tee (downhill, and my disc was never really on the fairway) and I had to look for 20-30 minutes to find it. This course could definitely use benches, and a couple more navigational arrows. However, my overall impression (and "weak" 4.5 rating) did not change. Having now tacked on 82 more courses to that 100, I stand by my statement that this course is more like Flip City than any other course I have played - and Flip happens to be only 30 minutes away. A morning at Flip and an afternoon here - or vice versa - would make for a very nice day playing disc golf in the western Michigan woods.
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16 1
wolfhaley
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.1 years 1009 played 580 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Criminally Underrated 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 7, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

Whiskey Hills is set up in the woods around the Whiskey Creek campground. The public is welcome to play. $5 per person for the day is about standard for pay to play courses nowadays. Make sure to check in at the office/general store before starting. You can either pay them inside or there's a lockbox outside the front door to drop your payment in. Onto the golf.

The baskets are beautiful red,white and blue Chainstars. These are all mounted properly and level and catch very well. These things really pop in the shadows of the woods. Kind of shocking how you don't see this color combination more often. They look great. One pin position per hole.

The tee pads are strange here. Which kind of seems to be a recurring theme here in the Ludington area. A couple of the first few are phenomenal. Especially hole 1's. It's actually kind of excessive how large it is. It must be 15' by 15'. There's another much smaller version of this on hole 2 or 3. Then after that? It's back to the Mason County method. Mostly tiny lumps of concrete with some medium ones mixed in. It's better than natural for sure though. One tee per hole.

The signs are pretty basic. Just an arrow indicating the intended direction of the hole, hole # and distance. After playing Beast and Goliath the day prior, I really appreciated the arrow showing the direction of the pin. There are now plenty on next tee signs that help with navigating the course. I only had to check the Udisc map a couple times.

Now as for the actual design and course play. All I can really say is WOW!!! This course is criminally underrated on here. The elevation used throughout is masterfully designed. There is just about every shot shape imaginable off the tee. Hitting your lines is critical here. The rough isn't horrible but it's not kind to you either in most places. We had to search a few times for discs but nothing more than a couple minutes.

Hole 24 is a great top of the world finishing hole. But still entirely in the woods. Great way to finish your round. There's only two par 4's here, and they're back to back at that. Hole 12 is only 272' but is one of the most vertical inclines I've ever had to throw up. Oh yeah and it's a tunnel shot to start. A 4 on here is a great par. I don't think I could even get a 3. It plays more like 500 plus feet. Then after that they hit you with another cross valley, tight par 4. Another great one to get.

The property is absolutely gorgeous. It's quiet and very serene. I highly doubt it's ever real busy so you'll most likely have the place to yourself. Disc golf nirvana really. So many beautiful views of the lake and surrounding hillsides.

Cons:

It's becoming a theme when I'm reviewing courses around here, but the tee pads (minus the first couple) and the tee signs are just lacking. Especially for the caliber of courses.

The bugs. I know, I know. It's the upper midwest, I get it. But make sure to bring bug spray. They're brutal. The worst part was the gnats. The bug spray doesn't do anything for them. There were literally swarms of them. Worst I've ever seen by far.

The elevation here is exhausting. It doesn't look like much from the parking lot, but rest assured, you are in for one hell of a hike. Be sure to bring plenty of fluids. Not really a con. More of a warning.

Other Thoughts:

I didn't know what to expect before arriving here. It almost seemed like one of those love it or hate it types of courses. I mean, It only averaged a little over a 3. That is so far off in my opinion. I rated all the Mason County Park courses a 4. This course is better than all 3 of those. I would put this one at the top of the list if visiting the area, well second I guess, Flip is still first. It's a must play course if you're a serious disc golfer and you're anywhere remotely close to here.

I settled on a 4.5 because it's better than all 3 Mason County Park courses. And those are all solid 4's. I'd probably give it a 4.25 if I could. With some better pads and signs this is a no doubt 4.5. Highly, highly recommend this one.
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14 0
MasonCountyDiscGolf
Experience: 17 played 5 reviews
4.50 star(s)

One of the best courses in west Michigan...but... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 23, 2019 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-ELEVATION
-technical fairways and greens
-professional landscaping
-NO crowds
-serene
-great red, white, and blue Discraft baskets
-concession store with drinks, food, etc
-The BEST tee pads ever! ...for holes 1 & 4
-A ton of signature holes...holes 1, 2, 4, 12, and the beautiful downhill finisher 24 come to mind.

Cons:

-The WORST tee pads ever...hole 17 is extremely dangerous to ankles
-middle of nowhere
-physically exhausting
-lack of beer can pick up by staff, few trash cans
-spotters needed on blind shots with thick rough

Other Thoughts:

It's now been 5 years since Whiskey Hills was created and it's been a bumpy ride. It was created in conjunction with the Mason County Disc Golf Organization but now is solely run by the staff at Whiskey Creek Campgrounds. In that time there has been conflicts of interest, course design changes, etc...everything you would expect from a new course. Now with the course broken in and the grass replacing the sandy construction paths it is simply beautiful! The owners are landscapers and have built the course with that mentality. Rock walls and structures everywhere, it's breathtaking. Upon our recent outing there we all agreed that Whiskey Hills is easily in the top 5 of most beautiful disc golf courses in Michigan if not the Midwest.

The course is top pro player technical as well. Every shot is there including shots that seem to never get used. How about a 40 degree incline straight up a 300 foot hill that makes a physically demanding par 4?

This would be a top rated course in anyone's book expect for it's one major fatal flaw...it's horrendous tee pads that are scattered throughout. When you start on hole one you are greeted with one of the best tee pads ever created. A huge cobblestone landscaping specialty that makes you think more of these teepads are to come. Then you go to hole 2 and, ok, this one is alright. Hole 3 is where you start to wonder what happened to the hole 1 version. Then hole 4 you get another one of the incredible tee pads, then it's all gone starting on hole 5. It's as if someone just poured concrete on the ground and let it form it's own shape. Almost all tee pads are manageable but there are a few (especially hole 17) that are simply dangerous. The freeform style of the short teepad creates a rounded small drop off at the foot fault line that just welcomes an ankle roll. This happened to us on 17 even knowing that it was a possibility. If the teepads were upgraded, even to the simplistic functional design of hole 2 this course would be a top-rated course not only in Michigan but nation wide. If the teepads were taken to the detailed level of holes 1 & 4 this would be a top tier course that deserves a 4.5 pushing a 5 rating.

Whiskey Hills always get overlooked on road-trips to West Michigan for the likes of Flip City, the Mason County Park, Leviathan, etc....but I am here to say (as a local) make sure this is on your agenda. Flip definitely comes first for it's pure magic but Whiskey Hills is that imperfect gem that can't be missed!

EDIT:All the pics currently for the course on DGCR are from it's first year of construction. They represent in no way it's current state as of 2019 and all the grass that has grown in where there was once sand construction paths.
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16 0
SpartanDisc
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.9 years 242 played 28 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Underated and GORGEOUS 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 24, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

-- This course is gorgeous. There is a LOT of elevation, especially for a Michigan course. Nearly every hole was uphill or downhill, and some were VERY uphill or downhill. Hole 12 is a legitimate par 4 at just 272 feet, throwing waaaay uphill. Hole 24 is a perfect closing shot: 435 downhill, somewhat tunnel somewhat open shot that requires a very accurate shot with about 330 to 350 foot power. Several of the holes out here would be standout signature holes at most other courses I've played. Also, all the elevation makes this course very aesthetic, and since you are in the middle of nowhere, there are some gorgeous views of the forest and a lake.

-- This course has pretty decent variety as well. There's up, down, left, right. Though the one thing it is missing is a big open bomb (there are a few longer holes, but not incredibly open to allow huge arms to let loose). However, with the elevation, a 300-foot uphill shot takes a lot of power but isn't quite the same as letting one sail for a huge hyzer-flip bomb. I found myself throwing a pretty good variety of shots off the tee though. However, I also feel that, for the most part, it is very RHBH friendly (I found myself throwing a LOT of LHFH shots).

-- Fun. This course is just fun. Every hole requires a bit different of a line, but there is always a line you can immediately envision that just begs to get hit. The holes are also very fair... there aren't many must-get 2's, but every hole gives you a chance if you want to get aggressive, though there are also a lot of easy 3's if you just play smart, position golf. It's really up to the player on where to get aggressive and where to be conservative for an up and down 3.

-- Did I mention it's beautiful? Aside from the aesthetics of the natural land formations, there are also a lot of very pretty cairns (piles of stacked rocks) and well-landscaped areas full of big, white stones and boulders. The fairways are meticulously mowed and manicured and you can tell that A LOT of effort goes into maintaining this course. The 2-foot tall grass other reviewers complained about was nowhere to be seen.

-- I love the baskets. They are nice baskets, catch well, and are painted red, white and blue. Not only does this add a cool look and feel to the course, but they are very easy to see (at least when you are in line of sight of them).

-- It is remote. You won't every likely face a backup while playing here. I had the entire course to myself.

Cons:

-- The major drawback to this course is navigation. There are a LOT of blind holes, and with the elevation, it isn't always easy/practical to walk 3/4 down the hole to see where the pin is. On some holes, you can see multiple pins and the course maps on the signs are a joke. Twice I played to the wrong basket and had to go back and re-play the hole to the correct one, which isn't always quick given the hills you have to trek to do so. This course desperately needs much, much more detailed and accurate hole maps on the tee signs. Or at least a scorecard map that is more than just a collection of lines that look like a 5th grader drew them. The course does have "next tee" signs on just about every hole though, so finding the next tee pad isn't really a challenge, it's just about whether or not you can figure out where to throw from that tee.

-- Tee pads aren't great. Some are gigantic and nice (like 15ft by 20ft) while others/most are only about 4 feet long. For some holes, the shorter tee is OK because you aren't always looking to bomb, but on others a nice standard sized tee would be huge. Also, while the tees are small, they were mostly very flush to the surrounding ground, so there weren't really places where you could trip or fall due to a drop off at the end of the tee. This is important to me, because I've broken my ankle falling off the front of a tee pad before.

-- This course is not for the faint of heart, out of shape, or for those in a hurry. It's in the absolute middle of nowhere, so really is a destination course. It's also 24 fairly spread out holes over a very demanding and hilly terrain. Don't expect a quick round. Bring LOTS of water and expect a very good workout.

Other Thoughts:

I honestly can't comprehend how this course is rated so poorly (2.75 overall at the time of writing this). From skimming other reviews, it sounds like in the past this course was overrun with tall grass and poorly maintained. That couldn't be further from the condition it was in when I got out there. Between the great course design, the cairns and rock formations everywhere, the elevation, and the overall upkeep, this course reminded me a lot of the famous Flip City. While it doesn't have quite the variety or course design of Flip, it does have a lot more elevation I feel.

While the navigation issues were extremely frustrating at times, I didn't deduct too many points because that is only an issue your first time playing and only if you aren't with someone who knows the course. To me, I forgot my frustrations very quickly as I was constantly delighted by the great tee shots I got to (attempt) to throw. Even taking into account and harshly penalizing for this and other negatives (like small tees in places), I can't understand how you can rate this course below a 3.5 or 3, at worst. I am torn between 4 or 4.5 (due to these issues), but I'm giving a 4.5 because I feel this course is sadly underrated currently.

The overall beauty and fun make this a must play if you are in the area and a great compliment to those traveling to Flip City for a weekend.
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4 6
snappyj
Experience: 49 played 2 reviews
2.50 star(s)

$5 to throw uphill in 2 foot tall grass 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 10, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Very challenging
- Hole 24 was a lot of fun
- Beautiful scenery when you finally make it to the top
- Navigation was fairly easy
- Nice baskets

Cons:

- Not maintained well
- Far too expensive for course conditions. I don't mind $5/round, but at least knock some grass down to cut down on ticks.
- I feel like I threw 300' uphill in 2 foot tall grass on 80% of the holes

Other Thoughts:

So much pollen. Be sure to Zyrtec your self before you wreck yourself.
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4 0
Steven Hultquist
Experience: 30.1 years 286 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Hoping for the evolution of this course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 17, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Thoughtful use of property and topography. Difficulty level is appropriate for style of course. Baskets are in good condition. First 2 teepads are very impressive. As improvements are made to this course, the rating level will most assuredly reach a 4+ rating. I realize this course is barely at it's infancy. Next tee signs for almost every hole helped navigation. Hole #24 is a great finishing hole.

Cons:

Teepads need to be appropriate for hole length of which over half are not. Teepads are also very uneven and undulating. This could possibly cause injuries when wet or during fall months with leaves on them. Several blind holes (of which is not the problem) have incorrect or limited hole information. Also some distances are as well inacurate.

Other Thoughts:

I imagine this course will blossom into one of Michigan's finest with the needed improvements and care that I'm sure it will recieve. Looking forward to playing it again in the summer and early fall months.
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3 14
Discgolfer123
Experience: 5 played 5 reviews
1.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 26, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

There was a gift shop nearby and the course was fairly difficult.

Cons:

It was very buggy throughout the course. Also the landscaping was poor. A lot of dust and tall grass.

Other Thoughts:

The course was a waste of a drive and the expensive pay to play.
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17 0
SneakyJedi
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15 years 146 played 83 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Rough Around The Edges 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 11, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Intense elevation in play throughout
- Variety of shots/lines and basket locations
- Brand new red, white, and blue baskets easy to see and catch well
- Shop/bathrooms on site

Cons:

- Intense elevation in play throughout
- Feels very raw, still a lot of work to be done
- Cost is high for current course condition

Other Thoughts:

I was told by someone who had just made the trip that I should check out Whiskey Hills on my next visit to the Mason County area. While I am glad I made a point to add this course to my itinerary, I left exhausted and unsure of my desire to make a return journey with the course in it's present state.

There are certainly flashes of greatness here, there are some really fantastic holes, including many with more extreme elevation change than I have seen at any other course. A number of holes, including the first 4, are more landscaped and look a bit like they are trying for a Flip City feel with similar stacked rock formations. However, much of this course feels unfinished and raw, and hopefully this is addressed in the near future.

There is a decent amount of diversity here, and I definitely used a number of different discs and shots, but despite playing through a wooded area, there aren't many tight windows to hit, and there is an overabundance of uphill shots that will likely leave you worn out by the end of the round. The course definitely plays much longer than the listed distances given on the course map with all the uphill shots.

I'm glad the shop now provides a very basic hand-drawn map of the course as well as a scorecard with distances, because it was necessary to find the basket or navigate to the next teepad on a number of holes. Hopefully descriptive tee-signs are put up in the future as well, because they would be a great help.

The red, white, and blue baskets are great, they catch well and are very visible, much better than a bare metal Mach V in that regard. The tee pads on the other hand, are no good at all. Where concrete had not yet been poured, the tee pads were made of a rough aggregate that looked a bit like ground up asphalt. This resulted in some fairly large rocks mixed in with the smaller stone, making footing less than ideal. Where concrete had been poured, it was roughly placed in an approximate rectangle within the aforementioned aggregate. These few pads were so short (maybe 3 to 4 feet?) that they almost didn't matter. Good equipment at the tee area, including benches, would go a long way to improving this course.

I had a lot of fun throwing many of the holes at Whiskey Hills, but the lack of good equipment at the tees, untamed rough requiring extensive searching for discs, and excessive number of uphill shots made playing this course more of a chore than I would like. The land here is great, and some finishing touches, and perhaps a few design changes, could make this a fantastic destination course in time.

A final note, I expect mosquitoes when playing courses in this area this time of year, and come ready with bug spray, but the spray does little to fend off gnats, and they were out in abundance during my round, adding another level of annoyance.

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13 1
Jax11
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15 years 103 played 35 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Potential in Years to Come 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 27, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Elevation and lots of it
- Beautifully landscaped and manicured first 4 holes
- Great baskets, they catch well and are highly visible
- Interesting basket placements
- Some interesting lines
- Bathrooms and snack shop on site
- Generally flat tee pads
- A few "Next Tee" Signs (Needs more or a map)

Cons:

- $5 to play an unfinished course
- Lacks rewarding birdie opportunities
- Many holes lack the design to create meaningful scoring spread
- Repetitive uphill shots
- Navigation was a huge issue, this place needs a course map
- No listed distances
- No tee signs
- Only sand tee pads
- Overuse of elevation
- Rough terrain
- Garbage piles near tee pads - Needs some garbage cans

Other Thoughts:

Whiskey Hills DGC is definitely a work in progress. Bring your hiking shoes, water and your bomberman arm, because the course plays long.

The first four holes were beautifully polished. Rock stacked tee pad seating, decorative rock gardens in the fairway, and an elevated basket placed on a boulder are some of the highlights of these first four holes. Unfortunately, it its current state, these holes set you up for disappointment throughout the rest of the course. Beyond hole 4 the course is extremely rough. The fairways are mostly sand and gravel hill sides that reminded me of a large scale construction project. Debris from the tree clearing also litters the fairway and adds to the feeling of a "work in progress". I am hopeful over time these aesthetics issues will be addressed and that the whole course will be finished with the polished feel of Holes 1-4.

As far as the hole design, I felt that it lacked rewarding birdies and lacked ways to create meaningful scoring spread. There were several long holes that required the thrower to bash a driver on a simple line and then throw a decent upshot and putt to card their par. I feel leaving a few more trees in the fairways of some of these longer holes could have created a more difficult tee shot and a more meaningful par 4, or, another solution could have been to shorten some of the long par 3's and make them easier deuces to create more opportunities to score well. Hole #21, #22, and #23 need more clearing. There is no defined line and it is hard to understand what the designer is going for with these holes. To my understanding, they are still working on these holes (I hope so). In my opinion holes #1, #12, #14, #16, and #24 are all phenomenal holes and are a real joy to play. They are the saving grace of this course. I also believe they are well designed because they reward well executed shots and punish bad ones.

As mentioned in the cons section, this course lacks stable tee pads, has no listed distances, no tee signs and no map. Playing through this course for the first time was extremely frustrating. With several blind baskets and no navigational tools it was difficult to locate the target basket, which in turn, lead to a lot of hiking up and down the fairways to figure out where to throw.

Overall: I have rated this course a 3/5 with the understanding that tee pads, tee signs, hole distances and a map are in the works in the very near future.

I agree with the below reviewer that this course was opened to the public too soon. Considering the lack of expected amenities and the general unfinished feeling of the course, being to charged $5 to play the course in its current state really rubbed me the wrong way.

In conclusion, with aesthetic improvements and some minor design changes I believe this course could reach the 4.5/5 mark. For the time being, with so many better options in close proximity, my best advice is to save your $5 and hit this course in a couple years after they have dotted their i's and crossed their t's.

I hope to return within the next few years and hopefully I will be able to upgrade the rating. Congrats to the designers on a great start and I hope they finish the course with the same type of vigor that went into the first 4 holes.
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13 1
apdrvya
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 14.1 years 350 played 299 reviews
3.50 star(s)

you take the good you take the bad you take it all and then you have...the facts of life. 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 2, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Aesthetic-- plays through the back woods and hills of an expansive campground/residential area in rural mason county. odds of running into a non-dg'er are slim but always possible (especially 1-3)

Baskets-- Powdercoated ChainStars. Very visible in thick woods as they are coated red/white/blue. Very new and "catchy"

Challenge/Variety-- Use of elevation here is the real winner. Every bit of elevation is used well (and in some places, overused) in all areas. I would have liked to see more holes that played down flat paths that would have made you carve accurate lines (more technicality) but the designers went for elevation supremo here.

Signature holes-- #1, #16 and #24 are the signature holes. #1 is a simple mid-range/putter shot with the basket mounted into a six foot boulder near the entrance to the compound. #16 plays down rows of trees towards the lake with the basket mounted (again) in a boulder and #24 plays down the biggest hill here and finishes near #2's basket near the start. All of these holes are definitely the superstars here.

Routing and nav-- for the better part of the course, the routing isn't bad. even without teesigns or next tee signs the tee seemed to be somewhat near the preceding basket. When you get to #20 the routing falls into complete disrepair however. See below for more details.

Country Club Feel-- for the first few holes large boulder define fairways. I'm doubtful this will be how the rest of the course will shake out but it's pretty sweet to have defined fairways with boulders to lead your way.

Rocks-- Creative use of available rocks through out, especially the big Cove seat at #4 are very much appreciated.

Cons:

Teepads-- I'm sure a work in progress. teepads are generally dirt piles pushed flat (some are on outcroppings on the sides of hills) rutty, uphill/downhill and uneven in many places. I'm sure cement or rubber mats are on the way but for now these are a bit of a detractor.

Teesigns-- little orange flags with numbers is all you get for now. I'm sure in typical MCDGO fashion, the teesigns will resemble the rest of the MCDGO courses. I will strongly suggest, however, that adding hole diagrams to the teesigns might be a mandatory endeavor here. Many baskets are very close together and you aren't really sure which basket you are throwing at. Also, a map is sorely needed.

Routing and nav-- as said above, a map may be mandatory at some point. the routing isn't bad but at #20 everything falls to hell. #20 is NOT (AFAIK) marked with orange flags. rather it's a flat top up the hill from #19 with two sticks marking the teepad. From there #21 is tricky to figure out which way to throw (up or down hill) then #22 has no discernible fairway up to the top of the hill (I think). I never did find #23. #24 is at the top of the big hill and is easy to find. These last few holes need some work in clearing (like the rest of the course) they almost seem like an afterthought.

Rough-- this course, while playable is SUPER rough. they were burning stumps in multiple piles, heavy equipment was moving earth and was a bit distracting. one stump pile was right off a fairway and walking past was SUPER hot...

Fairways-- mostly dirt at this point. I'm not sure what the plan is, if it's to plant grass or not but this course will erode badly if some sort of ground cover is not planted. There is a ton of deadfall in places (or just weeds) that cover the fairway as well.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, I think this course has the potential to be a top tier course, but, I think they may have opened it to the public a little early. By keeping disc golfers off of the course until spring, this course could have really been an eye opener but for now, it's a little rough around the edges. nice work MCDGO
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