Only one;flip city,blueberry,paw-paw,I.D.G.?

[Matthew boals]

I'm leaning toward blueberry (5 courses)

[Matthew boals]

Which course do you believe I should enjoy first? Flips rated #1, but only one course. Blueberry has 5 18 hole courses. Paw paw sounds like a hike with a round of golf included. The I.D.G.C. Has 3 18 hole courses. Has anyone one played ALL of these courses? if you have, Which one do you KNOW is a MUST play!?

[optidiscic]

Are you making a trip to one of these or trying to start a which is better poll?

[optidiscic]

Where are you from and would you consider other nearby courses?

[Matthew boals]

I live in Indianapolis and I hope to make it to atleast one for this years road trip.

[Matthew boals]

I would play other courses on the way there and back. Just figuring which "destination" course would be the best to go play. Driving it, planning on playing courses every 3/4 hours(so I can stretch). I planning only doing this in 4 days.

[Greg Layton]

I'm not going to get into the cheerleading about which course is better, but I will say that Flip City has a whole bunch of excellent courses surrounding it. The Mason County complex has three very good to excellent 24 hole courses. Plus you have some excellent courses in Traverse City... I can personally vouch for Hickory Hills.

At Idlewild you have Lincoln Ridge nearby, which some have argued is better than Idlewild, but I think there's a steep dropoff after those two courses.

If all the hype about Blueberry is legit, though, it's hard to argue with 90 world class holes on the same piece of land.

[optidiscic]

4 days from Indy-wow! I can only speak for Paw Paw as it's the only I've played.(2X) It's very remote and set in the mountains of West Virginia. More of a pilgrimmage to get their but it's quite a unique place. 2 huge courses with the tighest/longest woods holes you will ever play...and then some stellar big open holes. It's very rustic and at times bizzarre when you are out there but it is a disc golf trip you will remember for ever. You could spend a day at Paw Paw and Whispering Falls, Greencastle PA (hr away) and spend the other days hitting the best Pitt Courses Morraine, Deer Lakes, and 7 springs perhaps, If you make it Paw Paw theres always the mass of quality DG in Delaware not too far (Brandywine, Iron Hill, Carousel, all 3 are within 15 minutes of each other and all 3 are amonst the best Ive played) you could also go a bit south to Cape Henlopen and play on the Sand Dunes and get some beach/ocean time (another unique course) Within 2.5 hrs of Whispering Falls to the East in PA you have Quakers Challenge, French Creek, Little Lehigh Parkway, Jordan Park, Nockamixon, Tinicum, and Tyler. All are very challenging 60+ Par courses for top pros. I'd say any trip that included Morraine, Deer Lakes, Nockamixon, Iron Hill, Paw Paw, Tyler, Quakers Challenge, French Creek, and you have played some of the toughest/funnest woods disc golf imagineable. Whispering Falls, Jordan, Cape Henlopen are just fun courses to play with unique memorable holes. Tinicum, 7 Springs, Carousel, Brandywine, and Little Lehigh are more open but World Class courses. Hope that helps!

[optidiscic]

in 4 days my suggestion might be a bit too much to chew......Why not hit Flip and then cross the Upper Peninsula to High Bridge..... That would be an amazing and very do able 4 day trip IMO.

[DavidSauls]

I'd drop IDGC off the list (unless you're planning this soon, and looking for warm weather). The courses are good, perhaps very good, and there are other fine courses nearby or on the way. But if you're looking for GREAT, IDGC isn't it.

[Matthew boals]

I've played both idlewild and Lincoln ridge a handfull of times. I don't like long courses, I don't have a monster arm, but both of the courses are so well laid out well taken care of and beautiful I really don't mind just playing them and not keep score. Thanks for the info about the other courses around flip. That just made me lean more toward flip. If I ever have the chance too play blueberry,and the others, I may just fly up and drive home.

[Cgkdisc]

You can take the ferry across Lake Michigan from Ludington to Wisconsin to save time and catch Flip, Ludington, Highbirdge and Winter Park on the loop.

[Matthew boals]

OptiDiscic, thanks for all of that info I'll have too look at all of the courses you suggested. I was also thinking of driving to high bridge then too flip,using the upper peninisula. That may be to much driving for me in four days. Maybe fly to highbridge,rent a car-one way, and hit flip.Playing 15 years it's really cool that disc golfers can now plan trips like this, playing "destination" courses. Thanks everybody for your time and suggestions.

[Cgkdisc]

Not easy to fly and get close to Highbridge. You could fly to Duluth (90 minutes away) and rent a car and try the one way drive. Rhinelander airport is a little closer but I'm not sure they have rental cars and likely wouldn't allow a one way trip if they did.

[Three Putt]

You can take the ferry across Lake Michigan from Ludington to Wisconsin to save time and catch Flip, Ludington, Highbirdge and Winter Park on the loop.This. It will save you time and get you out from behind the wheel on a long trip. Win-Win!

[Greg Layton]

Yeah, I'd second the ferry idea. It's extremely expensive IMO (seperate charge for your car and all the passengers), but it's not like there's an interstate across the upper peninsula that will get you from Highbridge to Flip as fast as you think. I've talked about making the trip from Grand Rapids to Highbridge using the route you're talking about and whenever I bring it up, the native Michiganders look at me like I've got three heads.

[bloodypotato]

Flip City is the only one I've played, but if you go about 30 minutes up the road from Flip you can go to the Mason County Park which has 3 4-star courses, and if drive another 15 minutes north you have the brutal Leviathan course, another 4-star course. Of course, I haven't played any of the other courses mentioned, so I guess I don't really have a good frame of reference on the topic

edit:I'd definitely recommend Cgkdiscs idea, its only about 4 hours from Wisconsin to Ludington, and its 5-6 hours just to get from Ludington to Mackinac Bridge (Upper Peninsula)

[Cgkdisc]

It's about $150 for one person with car to cross one way which may not be too bad relative to the time savings: http://www.ssbadger.com/content.aspx?Page=Schedule

[scarpfish]

Almost went on the Badger when I was in WI four years ago, but decided heading over to MI would add too much time to the trip. It was only $100 for 1 passenger + car back then.

The one problem with the ferry is that it doesn't run year round, so unless he's waiting until May or so to do this, its not an option.

[Greg Layton]

Almost went on the Badger when I was in WI four years ago, but decided heading over to MI would add too much time to the trip. It was only $100 for 1 passenger + car back then.

The one problem with the ferry is that it doesn't run year round, so unless he's waiting until May or so to do this, its not an option.

I certainly wouldn't recommend coming to Michigan before May. It'll take until then for all the snow to melt off. They received 16 inches just this past weekend in Shelby and Ludington.

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=grr&storyid=45525&source=0

[Matthew boals]

This will be my summer trip, before/after the July 4th weekend. Thank you very much for the GREAT ferry idea. I'll fly into Duluth, rent a car one way, take the ferry across hit flip and the others then home. Looks like I have some planning to do, cost and timing. Thanks again to all!!

[Cgkdisc]

You may want to compare flying into the Twin Cities if you can't fly direct to Duluth. When we did the cost/time comparisons for Pro Worlds at Highbridge, it was better to fly into the Twin Cities because car rental and flight was cheaper than Duluth and people had to change planes in the Twin Cities anyway to get to Duluth. By the time you wait for the flight to Duluth, count the flight time to Duluth and the 90 minute drive to Highbridge, you could get to Highbridge faster driving from the Twin Cities which is about 4 hours. Depending on your timing, you could even get in a Twin Cities course or two. Kaposia or North Valley cost about 15 minutes off your direct route to Highbridge from the airport.

[odysseus81]

My friends and I go on a road trip every year around the first or second weekend of October. We usually stay in the midwest (Bowling Green, KY; Des Moines, IA; Peoria, IL; Memphis, TN so far) but with this being our 5th year, we were taking a hard look at making the trek up to Ludington to play Flip and then hit the Mason County courses as well. Time is not a luxury we have...we will be leaving from south central Missouri, so we will have a pretty decent amount of drive time. We usually leave Wed. night and drive thru the night to get where we are going. We then play all day thursday and friday and have to leave Sat morning. With all this being said....do you think this is the trip for us to take (trying to stay within 9-10 hours drive or so). If so, where would you stay (in Ludington)---any great places to eat in the area?

[underpar24]

Flip is top notch. I went and camped ther last year for July 4th and it was awesome. I couldn't have had a better 4th of July. Great experience.

[tomjulio]

Without a doubt. Flip City. Why? well, it is an incredible course. AND 30 miles north through some of this country's most incredible lake side terrain lies four more world class courses.

[tomjulio]

My friends and I go on a road trip every year around the first or second weekend of October. We usually stay in the midwest (Bowling Green, KY; Des Moines, IA; Peoria, IL; Memphis, TN so far) but with this being our 5th year, we were taking a hard look at making the trek up to Ludington to play Flip and then hit the Mason County courses as well. Time is not a luxury we have...we will be leaving from south central Missouri, so we will have a pretty decent amount of drive time. We usually leave Wed. night and drive thru the night to get where we are going. We then play all day thursday and friday and have to leave Sat morning. With all this being said....do you think this is the trip for us to take (trying to stay within 9-10 hours drive or so). If so, where would you stay (in Ludington)---any great places to eat in the area?

Stay in Ludington. Stearns motor Inn is a great place, or if you need a cheap hotel/bed and breakfast there are tons. Flip is 30 miles south. So basically from Ludington there is Leviathan. 4 miles south is the three Mason County Parks.

Places to eat. Quite a bit. For pizza, Chuckwagon on the lake. For veggie there is a great little place off of James Street. Also James Street Brewery for great beer and food. Such a great little city.

[Terry C]

The ferry IS VERY stupid expensive, you could fly round trip from chicago to grandrapids in 20 minutes each way for the same cost as taking the ferry across lake michigan for 3 hours one way, except when you get here you dont have a car if your flying and that would be another issue, or you could bite the bullet and drive 8-10 hours around lake michigan, that would work too but take a lot more time and gas. Flip would almost be ideal for a meet up though, its near silver lake sand dunes which are amazing and a great spot for wifey and kids to hang out while dad plays golf with his dgcr buddies, and flip is surrounded by other amazing disc golf parks. Free camping at flip too.

[srm_520]

I'm sorry, they would all be awesome, but it's hard to argue with Highbridge just because of the sheer number of courses. Flip City comes in #2 though, but I.D.G.C. comes close as well.

[Terry C]

wherever it ends up, the dude will be there, and he will abide.

[Matthew boals]

Cgkdisc; after figuring out the flight,gas,hotel it looks like I'll be hitting up flip instead of highbridge....this summer. Maybe I can it up highbridge in the summer of 2011. Maybe,maybe fly up, and back, in the fall this year. If I'm able too have two summer trips I'll take your advice and come into the twin cities, play a few local courses, hit highbridge. Thanks for the info and idea!

[Matthew boals]

Tomjulio; thanks for the idea it looks like I'll be taking the trip to flip. I'll take your advice and stay in ludington and play all of the other courses around. The other places I'll also check out, the hotel and the BREWERY!!

[danhyzer]

http://www.lake-express.com

it costs a little more, but it's quicker than the SS Badger and it departs Milwaukee and arrives in Muskegon, MI.or the other way around depending on which way you choose to travel.

on my trip in late Sept. /early Oct 2006, I drove from Canton, Ohio to the Chicago area playing a few DGc's along the way. Then headed all the way north to Green Bay, again playing a few DGc's. Then traveled south to Milwaukee. spent the night in Milwaukee and took a early bird ride across Lake Michigan (Lake Michigan had some serious storms all through the night and from what I heard the SS Badger from Manitowoc had been delayed most of the morning because of the weather). I got into Muskegon greeted by a severe hail storm. I drove my rental into a car wash bay that happened to be empty and I waited out the storm.

By early afternoon I was playing DG in Michigan in the sunshine. Muskegon has a nice DGc in town and Flip City and Branstrom are nearby.

By taking one of these ferries. IMHO, is worth the cost as you avoid driving through Chicago as when I drove through Chicago on this picticular trip there was all kinds of construction in and all around the windy city in addition to all the traffic that is normally there.

So to me it was well worth the $$ to take the Lake Express. And I plan to do it this way again in the near future as there's ton's a good DGc's in the upper midwest that I have yet to play.

[tomjulio]

The one saving grace from NOT taking the Ferry and driving around the lake is the Valparaiso course in Indiana is right of 94 by a few miles. Other than that you will thank god you paid the extra $$$ for the ferry to avoid the hell that is Chicago traffic/construction during the summer.