Grand Rapids, MI
Riverside Park
Details
During Winter
Pros: Shot Variations
Distance changes
Water challenges
Concrete tee pads
Signs give accurate distances
Distance changes
Water challenges
Concrete tee pads
Signs give accurate distances
Cons: Water challenges (Play it safe or be out $10)
Pedestrians
Holes 14, 15, and 16 are tough water holes with 15 being the toughest.
Pedestrians
Holes 14, 15, and 16 are tough water holes with 15 being the toughest.
Other Thoughts: I didn't get a good chance to see this course in all its beauty as we played it with snow on the ground and the water frozen over. I can only imagine what hole 15 would be like with water. Ice on the lake was thick and we could get our discs that were 40 feet off the bank of hole 14. Hole 16 ice on the left bank is not sturdy. There is an air pocket of about 2 feet in between the water level and the ice. This course is gorgeous that I'm pushing my disc buddies to play again when I come up for the summer. This is a must play! Just make sure you get it during the right conditions.
Report this Review Riverside - A Good Old Friend
Pros: Riverside is a pretty solid course that's been around for years (some of the baskets show it.) It's right in the middle of one the most popular parks in all of GR. It's mostly open with some mature trees and large bushes in the play. Almost every hole allows for different throwing techniques. Some holes can be surprisingly challenging. Well taken care of with regular mowing, trash cans, picnic tables, and large cement tee pads are on every hole.
Cons: The popularity of this park means you will have a lot of non-discers in your way; especially ever since a group of people decided to hold a cross-country meet there. The flow of the course causes you to sit behind of a lot slow groups. Lots of water hazards on many of the holes (some water hazards are more avoidable then others.) Goose poop is pretty much everywhere. The course floods a lot during rainy seasons and the defrost of winter.
Other Thoughts: Riverside is defiantly worth a visit if you are in the area. It's the closest course to downtown GR that is worth playing. It does hold a lot league and tournament play (there is a board posting everything at the parking lot.) It takes about an hour and 45 minutes to play.It is the only course on the north side of GR.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.
Love this park....
5+ 
9/17/2009 
9/19/2009
Review By: Terry C Played: 18 Reviewed: 11 Exp: 14.9 Years
This review was updated on 11/22/2009
Pros: -This is a beautiful very well manicured park,
-great mix of shots, long and short, left and right fade.Good differing range of holes.
-mostly wide open fairways with minimal trees in your way.
-great DGC for all skill levels
-if you like going in the water for discs you'll have fun here, ive pulled about 100 out of the water here over the years. i found 13 in an hour last year.
-cement tee pads
-nice tee signs throughout the park
-Innova baskets
-a nice pole course is next to the regular basket course
-great mix of shots, long and short, left and right fade.Good differing range of holes.
-mostly wide open fairways with minimal trees in your way.
-great DGC for all skill levels
-if you like going in the water for discs you'll have fun here, ive pulled about 100 out of the water here over the years. i found 13 in an hour last year.
-cement tee pads
-nice tee signs throughout the park
-Innova baskets
-a nice pole course is next to the regular basket course
Cons: -Can get very busy and crowded in the mid summer
-sometimes picnicers lacking all common sence lounge right around the basket ( ive seen this happen so much over the years).
-technically this is a non-alchohol park,
-lots of people lose discs here, but its easy to play it safe if you like to.
-several of the later holes 12-18 are prone to massive goose crap piles everywhere
-the park does flood a couple times a year, not that often
-sometimes picnicers lacking all common sence lounge right around the basket ( ive seen this happen so much over the years).
-technically this is a non-alchohol park,
-lots of people lose discs here, but its easy to play it safe if you like to.
-several of the later holes 12-18 are prone to massive goose crap piles everywhere
-the park does flood a couple times a year, not that often
Other Thoughts: this is the best park in grandrapids, my favorite. This was one of the first parks i ever played 15 years ago and it has remained challenging and fun over the years.
4 of 7 people found this review helpful.
Riverside Rules!
Pros: There is a good amount of long and short holes here. Still has some ace run holes. Water holes help with being accurate and there's lots of tables and pavilions to take breaks if your tired or if the rain starts. And probly 50% of the time there will be someone already in the water to get your disc for you if you do happen to throw it in the drink.
Cons: There are definitely some cons that come with the course as well. The back nine is were it gets nasty. Lots of water holes that have a serious chance of robbing your disc, plus there's goose poo everywhere. Usually there's some people who are just standing in the way and don't care if your discing but still get really pissed when you almost him them even though you told them to move.
Other Thoughts: This is a really fun course. I only live four miles away so it's close and there's 18 holes plus a couple alt. holes as well. (From the fire hydrant to 17, and from the shed to 18). Haven't aced one there yet but I hope to change that soon.
4 of 5 people found this review helpful.
Riverside
Pros: Nice Long drives. You can really make use out of all the various discs.
Full 18 holes. Has baskets and cement tees. Scenic course with less pedistrians.
Full 18 holes. Has baskets and cement tees. Scenic course with less pedistrians.
Cons: A few vandalized holes, along with empty 40 oz cans and bottles in the baskets. Crowded course, you often have to wait to play. There are a few water holes on the back nine which make it tricky to play. Also on the holes with water there usually are people in the water trying to find their disc. You either have to wait or go around to the next hole.
Other Thoughts: You probably could make a killing by getting some waders and retrieve those lost disc on the water holes. My fiance and I often skip the water holes because golf disc are not cheap.
1 of 6 people found this review helpful.
Awesome
Pros: Great Park! All the tee's are cement now! The first few holes are nice and open and is perfect for long drives!
Cons: A few holes are water holes, which i am not a fan of. Skip holes 13,14,15,16 on windy days to save urself some money ;) Some non-disc golfers that you need to watch out for somtimes, but its not a big deal really.
Other Thoughts: Play this park 4-5 times a week, and love it! Also an old pole course there, some of the poles and tee sighns are missing but, overall its fun to play with some friends!
2 of 9 people found this review helpful.
Pros: Logically flowing course around the whole park.
Open, yet a bit more than a mere pitch and putt.
Generally not too crowded.
A great place to bring beginners, especially on the front nine. Experienced players can score well below the course par.
Water hazards require risk-reward assessment and good throw selection.
Holes are fun and satisfying.
Open front nine (I'm thinking 3-5 especially.) are a good place to try out new throws and discs.
Open, yet a bit more than a mere pitch and putt.
Generally not too crowded.
A great place to bring beginners, especially on the front nine. Experienced players can score well below the course par.
Water hazards require risk-reward assessment and good throw selection.
Holes are fun and satisfying.
Open front nine (I'm thinking 3-5 especially.) are a good place to try out new throws and discs.
Cons: Water hazards. Unless you're very conservative with your throws, you're likely to lose a disc at some point.
Goose poop on 12-16. Bring a towel.
If it has rained in the past few days (and in GR it most likely has), some holes will be downright unplayable, especially 15, 16.
Goose poop on 12-16. Bring a towel.
If it has rained in the past few days (and in GR it most likely has), some holes will be downright unplayable, especially 15, 16.
Other Thoughts: My go-to course in GR. Always worth playing. Have always found a friendly crowd while playing there. Don't bother to play in the spring unless it has been uncommonly dry or you don't mind skipping holes in the back nine.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.
5+ 6/1/2009 6/29/2009
Review By: mambrose Played: 5 Reviewed: 5 Exp: 16.8 Years
This review was updated on 7/18/2009
Pros: The tee pads are nice, along with the baskets
Cons: Water, i hate loosing my discs
Other Thoughts: Ive been playn here since i was like 6 years old, but ive been wondering, anyone know why the teepad for 18 dosent face the hole?
edit: they made a new tee behind it like last week
edit: they made a new tee behind it like last week
1 of 5 people found this review helpful.
Pros: Love the concrete tee pads and baskets. Course is quite open, but there are some tree challenges here and there. The water holes can be frightening when the wind is against you.
Cons: Not many negatives I can say about this course, other than once you play 16 it's not easy to find where 17 and 18 are. These holes have been moved more than once, and you run into the wooden sign for the old (late 70s or early 80s) pole course that works its way to the south in the park.
Other Thoughts: 13 is at the end of a point of land jutting out into the lagoon. High water in the spring makes this even more challenging. I played the course on May 31, 2009 and we skipped 13, the water was within 10 feet of the base of the basket.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful.
Riverside GR
Pros: Probably the best course in the Grand Rapids area. Very challenging water. Nice wide open frost 9. Very nice park. worth the drive downtown in the summer. Don't be scared to jump in after your discs, it's pretty clean, comparably.
Cons: Can flood easily, as it is directly on the banks of the grand river. Due to damaged/ broken signs, it can be a little difficult to traverse.
Other Thoughts: Also an old post course of site
3 of 6 people found this review helpful.
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