Armory Youth Project reviews
12
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Manistee's Second Short Practice Course!
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:May 13, 2022
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
Armory Youth Project (AYP) is right in Manistee, MI - between downtown and the beach. The AYP is an organization dedicated to supporting local area teens and their families - and the short new 9-hole DGC on site certainly has the potential to help with that.
The equipment here is good. The baskets are brand new blue Prodigy models. The tee pads are either well-laid arrays of patio pavers, or small slabs of concrete. Both are fine for this course.
Each hole also has a tee sign with hole number, distance, par, and any relevant notes (OB areas, etc.). I'm fine with the lack of map on these because all baskets are visible from the tee. If in doubt, you can consult the rough map I uploaded here.
Navigational signs are also present in the two places I needed them, and a double mando on hole 9 is well marked.
There isn't a lot of great land here for a disc golf course (or a lot of land in general, for that matter) but the designers did a pretty good job using the land available. Holes 3-9 each have a few trees to work around. Hole 5 is only 103', but plays straight ahead through a very narrow tunnel of tree trunks. This is a great test for new players - can you thread the needle? (full disclosure - DFrah may have went 0 for 2 himself). The finishing hole 9 has the aforementioned double mando maybe 100' off the tee, then kinks to the left and finishes on an island another 225' later (pavement on all sides plays as OB).
The equipment here is good. The baskets are brand new blue Prodigy models. The tee pads are either well-laid arrays of patio pavers, or small slabs of concrete. Both are fine for this course.
Each hole also has a tee sign with hole number, distance, par, and any relevant notes (OB areas, etc.). I'm fine with the lack of map on these because all baskets are visible from the tee. If in doubt, you can consult the rough map I uploaded here.
Navigational signs are also present in the two places I needed them, and a double mando on hole 9 is well marked.There isn't a lot of great land here for a disc golf course (or a lot of land in general, for that matter) but the designers did a pretty good job using the land available. Holes 3-9 each have a few trees to work around. Hole 5 is only 103', but plays straight ahead through a very narrow tunnel of tree trunks. This is a great test for new players - can you thread the needle? (full disclosure - DFrah may have went 0 for 2 himself). The finishing hole 9 has the aforementioned double mando maybe 100' off the tee, then kinks to the left and finishes on an island another 225' later (pavement on all sides plays as OB).
Cons:
I have three safety/layout issues with this one.
- Right off the bat, hole 1 plays between the AYP building on your left and a sidewalk/street on your right. With this hole being fairly open to the harbor and Lake Michigan beyond, I can definitely see potential for wind to carry a poorly thrown disc far enough in either direction to be problematic.
- Hole 3 curls slightly to the right around some trees, but defining the left side of the hole is a chain-link fence. The area inside appears to be restricted access - or at least the gate was closed when I visited and I didn't see a way in. The fence is short enough that I believe a beginner's throw could easily clear it.
- Holes 8-9 are near a softball field. Signage indicates to skip this hole when people are using the field, so only a minor concern. However, hole 9 also plays near the parking lot - parked cars could be in play.
With the exception of the finishing hole 9, all holes are 200' or shorter. A putter is all you will need on some holes. There are also no water hazards, and not enough elevation change to really affect play.
No practice basket, kiosk, trash cans, or benches. There is a porta potty, but it's right in hole 9's firing line.
- Right off the bat, hole 1 plays between the AYP building on your left and a sidewalk/street on your right. With this hole being fairly open to the harbor and Lake Michigan beyond, I can definitely see potential for wind to carry a poorly thrown disc far enough in either direction to be problematic.
- Hole 3 curls slightly to the right around some trees, but defining the left side of the hole is a chain-link fence. The area inside appears to be restricted access - or at least the gate was closed when I visited and I didn't see a way in. The fence is short enough that I believe a beginner's throw could easily clear it.
- Holes 8-9 are near a softball field. Signage indicates to skip this hole when people are using the field, so only a minor concern. However, hole 9 also plays near the parking lot - parked cars could be in play.
With the exception of the finishing hole 9, all holes are 200' or shorter. A putter is all you will need on some holes. There are also no water hazards, and not enough elevation change to really affect play.
No practice basket, kiosk, trash cans, or benches. There is a porta potty, but it's right in hole 9's firing line.
Other Thoughts:
I thought this short, quirky course was kind of fun - but like Red Szymarek Park across the river, I can't really recommend this one to anyone who isn't a local or a serious course bagger. And for serious DG'ers looking for practice, I would give the nod to Red Szymarek after the recent upgrades there.
Where does that leave AYP DGC? This is not a standout disc golf destination, nor was it ever intended to be. But the Manistee area is still a little bit of a disc golf desert. People who live right in town have to drive 20+ minutes to reach the nearest 18+ hole course. If the designers could move hole 3 a little bit, or just make the fence much taller so that no teenager's disc could realistically fly over it, I see this as a fun practice round for teens and locals alike. Just don't come here expecting anything amazing.
UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2022: All tee pads are now either cement, or arrays of patio pavers. A couple of other finishing touches were added this summer - a small kiosk at the first tee with a course map, sponsor ads on the tee signs, etc. The fairways have been defined and beaten in a little bit. Also - another new course is on the way just down the street at Lighthouse Park!
Where does that leave AYP DGC? This is not a standout disc golf destination, nor was it ever intended to be. But the Manistee area is still a little bit of a disc golf desert. People who live right in town have to drive 20+ minutes to reach the nearest 18+ hole course. If the designers could move hole 3 a little bit, or just make the fence much taller so that no teenager's disc could realistically fly over it, I see this as a fun practice round for teens and locals alike. Just don't come here expecting anything amazing.
UPDATE SEPTEMBER 2022: All tee pads are now either cement, or arrays of patio pavers. A couple of other finishing touches were added this summer - a small kiosk at the first tee with a course map, sponsor ads on the tee signs, etc. The fairways have been defined and beaten in a little bit. Also - another new course is on the way just down the street at Lighthouse Park!
