Udell Rollways is located in the Huron-Manistee National Forest, which stretches across several large areas of northern lower Michigan. The particular area of the forest where this course is located is easily accessible - about a 25 minute drive east of downtown Manistee and only about 2.5 miles off of the M-55 highway (on a well-kept dirt road). The official brown road signs on M-55 point towards "Udell Rollways" and there is an unmistakable symbol showing a disc flying into a basket underneath. I think this is the first I had seen this - cool!

The course plays on the top of a bluff, with the Manistee River down at the bottom. The 18 holes play along tight wooded fairways. Playing the course feels like a nice walk in the woods throughout the round, with very few man-made structures visible other than the disc golf infrastructure. Several fairways are covered in patches of moss, which further added to the aesthetic for me.

That infrastructure is surprisingly good for a course that is kind of in the middle of nowhere. The yellow banded DISCatcher baskets (one per hole) are in good shape and are easy to see in the woods. There are two tees per hole. The long tee pads are large slabs of cement in good condition. Located at each long tee pad is a nice tee sign with hole number/par and a map of the hole/distance from both tees. There is also a separate sign at each long tee discussing the local flora and fauna, which I thought was a nice touch. The short tees are cement too, although quite small (only large enough to stand and throw). There is not signage at the short tees, so some of them were a bit difficult to find under last fall's leaves (to help locate if needed, look at the tee sign at the long tee). I can confirm that as of this writing, the short pads are all there!

I played one round from each set of tees. From the long tees, this is a challenging technical round. Hole distances range from 186' to 578', and although most holes are in the 200'-325' range the amount of trees to work around helps make up for the lack of longer distances. The short tees offer a round that is more approachable for beginners and families, with several holes under 150' and all but one under 300'. It also bears mentioning that the front nine is much shorter and easier than the back nine regardless of tee - and the layout is such that you can easily play only the front nine or only the back nine. Non-DGers or families might find enjoyment in playing just the front nine from the short tees. Those looking for a challenge (and feeling lucky - see below) might want to skip to the back nine and play the long tees.

There are nice Next Tee signs throughout the course, as well as a few OB signs. Located near the parking lot are a kiosk with large course map, practice basket/area, permanent outhouse, and trash can.

As others have said, some of the fairways here are simply too tight. All of them are basically walking paths through the woods, and there are many holes where trees near the fairways could be thinned out to make the course more approachable. On a few holes the layout of trees guarding the basket is so thick that there just isn't a realistic line through and you will need more luck than skill to score well. Some fairways also zigzag through the woods, suggesting lines that no disc could follow. On several holes, I found myself abandoning the established fairways altogether and taking a different path through the rough that seemed like an easier line to the basket (this would likely not have been a viable option in the summer with leaves and underbrush grown in though).

The bugs here are probably horrendous in the summer. They were just starting to swarm when I played in early May. There also seems to be a tick problem - I found several of them on my legs on both days I visited (after hole 11 each time, for what it's worth). Between the bugs and the grown-in underbrush, this course could conceivably be a nightmare to play in the summer.

The walk from hole 9 to hole 10 is a little convoluted, and the shortest path between these holes passes through other fairways.

Unfortunately, even though the course is on the edge of the bluff and there is a river nearby, neither of these elements come into play at all. To be fair, I support that decision by the course designers - the bluff is too steep to try to put a course on. But the course is almost perfectly flat throughout.

I know that staffing here is probably minimal, but a few benches and trash cans on the actual course would be nice. There was trash scattered around on the ground - if there were just a few trash cans that could be emptied a few times a year I think that would help a lot.

The Udell Rollways day use recreation area is pay-to-visit. There are a couple of different options but realistically most visitors will choose the $5/vehicle day pass, which you can obtain at a self-service station on site. Besides the disc golf course, there is a picnic pavilion and a long stairway that leads down the bluff to the edge of the river. There are a LOT of steps - do not make this trek down to the waterfront unless you are able to walk back up! The view at the bottom is nice, as the area is located right at a horseshoe bend in the river.

Cell phone service is spotty here - plan accordingly.

I was between a 2.5 and 3.0 rating for this one - so I guess I feel that the current 2.75 average is spot-on. I personally enjoyed the course, but it aligned with my preference for technical wooded golf. I also think I was fortunate to visit at the time of year I did. Those who prefer longer open holes and visit in midsummer could be very frustrated here.

This is by no means a destination course, but is worth a stop for those in the Manistee area. I am in this area several times a year and can see myself playing this course again occasionally, but more often than not I will be making the slightly longer drive down to the Ludington area where there are quite a few superior options.

Course is in surprisingly good condition for being in the middle of nowhere. Sign at the beginning shows pars and a map of the course. Mostly par 3 with a few par 4 and I believe 1 par 2. Each hole has two cement tees - a "normal" and a "short". The pads are easy to differentiate as the "normals" have a typical tee box while the "shorts" are more akin to a small square.

Udell possibly has the best signage I've ever seen. Each hole has a detailed sign at the "normal" tee, "this way" markers are present whenever there is *any* confusion about where to possibly go, and the course is marked by blue trail diamonds - not sure if these are out-of-bounds markers or just identifying lanes, but they work very well.

Foliage and rough is surprisingly light for being in what amounts to a forest. It's not a lawn, but I was never really worried about losing a disc along the course with only one or two exceptions.

Bugs weren't bad at all, which was surprising.

BEAUTIFUL views - the course plays along a STEEP incline that leads down to the Manistee river. Course has good facilities for having a picnic as well as access to the river, though if you're looking to double dip a trip with boats of any sort it's gonna be a bear hauling them up and down that incline - there is a set of (many, many) stairs that is in good repair.

A dirt road leads back to the park. It was in pretty good repair when I went down it but there was one low spot that was pretty muddy and churned up. I would be cautious about driving back there after heavy rains.

Tree density is a little silly. You'll be threading the needle on the majority of the holes or praying for a good ricochet. The course could really do with some strategic thinning.

Deadfall is cluttering up a few holes. It's generally pushed off to the side and doesn't interfere with play, but it can make navigating a nuisance.

Some signs are damaged, usually from when the tree they were attached to came down. One sign missing completely.

Parking is ok, but I can see problems if it's a super-busy day. I'd be surprised if it was a high-traffic course (one other play group when we were there), but holding a tournament or something would be problematic.

Local towns are small. You could buy a meal and basic supplies, but don't expect anything like a pro shop. Discs may or may not be available locally at this point - I didn't stop in to check. Camping is plentiful.

Course is a pay-course. It's a sort of honor-system deal as the park looks to be unmanned. No idea how frequently they patrol/check in. We didn't see anybody during our several hour stay.

Minimal trash/benches.

Michigan fact signs are at each hole, but they're filthy. Compulsive cleaners are going to be aching for a bucket of soap and water to clean them up.

My wife liked the course more than I did. It's probably the prettiest course I've played, but there's just SO many blasted trees and the randomness of the bounce caused a lot of frustration for me. It would probably be more enjoyable if I had a better grasp on technical fundamentals for short, shaped shots.

Course is really a lot nicer than I ever would have expected given it's remoteness. Every single shot is a tight one though, and even the couple of "long" holes are still tunnel shots that are more or less the width of your average road.

way off the beaten path, very rustic with nobody else around when we played. very nice long pads, shorts are useless other than a place marker to throw but very difficult to find so play the longs. nice yardage maps on each tee but some are reversed making it difficult to understand the hole. Bring plenty of bug spray!

Trash everywhere! I don't understand why players cannot pickup after themselves. Unlike some other courses, this course only has trash cans at the 1st tee area/parking area. There was empty bottles/cans on every hole. People please have some respect of nature and pack out what you bring in. No excuse for littering!!!!

Deadfall from storm damage makes some holes difficult to navigate. Some trees need to be cleared to make some fairways. many holes have pretty much non-existent fairways. Plan on beating up some plastic because you will hit trees. No way around it.

Aesthetic-- plays through an old abandoned campground along the manistee river. there are hiking trails and fishing areas here where you may encounter some non-dgers.

Teepads-- nice and in good repair. the longs are all long teepads, the shorts are 1'x2' concrete blocks set in the ground. More of a marker than a usable teepad. I would actually have preferred these to be marked dirt pads.

Signage- good on 16 of 18. Missing on 17 and 18. distances may have been a bit exaggerated on the short side. I think some holes were much longer than they were advertised. I know these signs were done by houck designs but they are seriously weird in some places. in some places the teepads are on the bottom of the sign, on some, they are on the top. Not sure why this is how it is.

Routing and nav-- easy enough. plenty of next tee signs and other ways to help you through the course. the walk from 9 to 10 is a bit long and crosses many fairways.

left and right fairway on two holes-- this is kind of cool and adds to the risk v reward factor.

Challenge--the challenge is the trees for sure. there are so many trees here it's almost rediculous. that said, some of the short tees are jokingly short and would provide a good starting point for new discers or youngin's...

Variety--yeah, there is plenty of variety here, but it seems like there are a few too many right running holes to be balanced.

Deadfall--the deadfall here is insane. I think this course is too far out of town to have too many locals to help keep the course clear.

Lines-- the lines here are insanely tight to impossible to hit. There is a hole on the back 9 that you basically thrown into a stand of trees and there is no way to cleanly get through it...

Complete difference between front and back 9's-- the front 9 is nice and short and is easy to complete in about 30 minutes. the back 9 is way longer and way more challenging taking about an hour or more to play.

This course is an interesting mix in an uber remote location. Nice overall balance between long and short, and dual tees for the whole family.

Set among mature hardwoods in what used to be a rustic camground. Design makes good use of the available terrain. Front nine is short and demands accuracy, some holes have no obvious "fairway" but there was a line (usually a lefty and a righty line) available - they just demand accuracy to negotiate successfully. The back nine plays longer, while still placing a premium on accuracy. Well balanced between lefty and righty holes. The long tees have adequate pads, the shorts too small for anything but stand and deliver. Very nice signs from Houck Designs as well as a secondary sign at the tee describing somthing about the local flora and fauna. Did not see anyone else in the park while we were there. New outhouse near the second tee. Course map and a practice area near the first tee.

Very remote, Make sure you have snacks and supplies before you arrive.

I played this course after all the leaves were down, some of the lines might not be available with full foliage.

A great place to hang out for a day, covered pavilion, BBQ grills, a spectacular view of the Manistee River valley at Horshoe Bend. Stairs to the river for swimming or fishing. Close to other recreation opportunities.

The course is posted with hole maps and pars easily readable on every hole. Yes it is a tough course with LOTS of trees. Trees make a better player. no reason to cut any down. hole 16 was a tougher long hole. every hole is narrow and some what tough. people who live in the area and play alot at this course most likely will be great at accuracy. i will be there to play again soon, along with other courses in northern michigan!! Amazingly there was a road sign to remind us where we was going!!

so far from home!!
other than that no CONS

i really enjoyed the course map in full color as i parked my SUV. also there are alternate tees, a fire area. covered pavilion, and 200 stairs down to the river for fishing and or swimming. a great place to relax all in all. not a sould around simply a beautiful course in Manistee by the US Forestries. i am pleased

Very nice tee pads, amazing signage with tagged trees to direct to next whole and path for discs.

Soooooooo many trees really needs some more trees cut down to open up the holes. Seriously need like remote control of your disc to make some of the shots as it stands on some holes.

Very nice overall course but a little more work on the holes and disc flight path area and this course could be extremely nice.

Great signs! nice detailed course map and hole maps. Trees are marked along the fairway all the way down to the basket. Nice long tee pads. Spectacular scenery.. Like DOUBLE RAINBOW scenery

SCORE:
Disc Golfers:2
Trees: 100

This course was great in almost all ways. If they would just clear out the lanes a little more, it would be at least a 4 out of 5.

Awesome scenery. Great place to just hang out for the day and have a cookout or maybe a family get together. Very nice large tee pads. A few chances for Aces on the front 9 especially from the short tee pads.

This course is fairly new so the fairways are still getting broke in. Very tight fairways. Long walks between some holes. Be sure to grab a map. Long drive to the course from just about anywhere.

Not a horrible course but not something i would drive out of my way for. Given some time and a few upgrades this course could have some potential.

Good signs, I think it said they were Houck (sp?), and the course was easy to navigate
Course maps and general discing information at the parking lot
Back 9 had long holes that required good (though sometimes godlike) control of your throws
Nice pavilion/picnic area
The course is in a secluded setting, with little to no traffic going through (we saw one other car on the Sunday before Memorial Day)
Manistee River is down a flight of stairs, nice for taking a dip after a round, and it presents a nice view from up on the course

Signs are placed very oddly, most often at the back of the tees and away from the direction that you approach the hole
Front 9 didn't really seem to be made with any paths in mind, it seems like the just plopped a basket in the middle of some trees and said "Have fun getting this without some tree bounces!"
Fairways were either nonexistent (front 9) or filled with ferns that take your disc down in no time
Lots of bugs, especially on the back 9

Playing the front 9 made me think that I might need some anger management classes or something. This course caused me to drop a more f-bombs than in the last five years of my life. I'm pretty sure there wasn't one out of the first nine holes that I didn't hit a tree on. My group would walk up to the tees, and the next few minutes were spent trying to find the basket, as well as finding whatever path through the trees we could; every few holes we would find one where we could play around the trees, but that's not really a challenge, so we were forced to play through them for the most part.

I think that if this course receives some maintenance then I might think about visiting it again. At this point, however, the course doesn't seem like it is groomed, with fairways being as bad as the rough on some other courses. Me and my group aren't planning to travel up there again, and there are much better courses in the area for any of the disc golf inclined people out there to enjoy.

A remote setting among a beautiful hardwood forest with stunning views of the Manistee River lends this course some spark that's usually missing in most flat, wooded courses.

The main tee pads are large and flat but the alternate tee pads are very, very small. The main pads are marked with a 4x4 post with very nice, though oddly placed signage showing the basic layout, basket placement, and the location of the short tee. There are now plenty of next tee signs and both fairways and paths are marked with blue diamonds with hole numbers sharpied on.

There's a lot of variety in hole layout and distance in this course, easily making up for the lack of any elevation changes. Be prepared for long curving rights and lefts, a couple of straightish holes, and several sharp doglegs. On many holes there are two or more obvious routes to the basket. Accuracy and a huge dose of luck are VERY highly rewarded on this course!

There are now 2 course kiosks, one of which has a stunning map of the course layout and a box with scorecards, maps, and pencils, and the other contains the Innova throw techniques plaques. There's now also a practice basket and the new signage is just beautiful. Each long tee, besides having a tee sign, now also has a sign highlighting facts on location flora and fauna.

This course is so new the paths between holes are not naturally obvious or worn-in yet. In addition, there's still lots of small brush and rough terrain both in the fairways and on the paths. Locating pin position and navigation was difficult in a couple of places and the course layout is very awkward in a couple of spots, so make sure you take a map with you.

The short tee pads are too small anything more than a single step....forget doing a cross step here!

This is another course where the abundance of trees and the lack of any clear fairways on most holes got old after a while, although the distances on the back nine will keep you coming back for more (particularly the evil left dogleg on #11, the diabolically straight and long #16, and the long, curvy #18). Lots of tree clearing would be necessary to make this a truly fun, rather than just frustrating, course.

Just off the parking lot is a very nice picnic area and a long stairway down to the Manistee River. New bathrooms have been installed just off the parking lot, right at the short tee for #1. This is a pretty remote setting, so bring refreshments and snacks.

Very hilly but stunning mountain biking and hiking is available within a few miles at both the Big M bike/hike trail and the North Country Trail.

The local gas station about 5 miles east of the DG course on M-55 (Whitetail Party Mart) has course information and a small collection of high-end discs for sale. There's also several lodges and inns between the course and Wellston.