Making a trip up north to play the legendary Flip City course has been on my to-do list since long before I ever dreamed of building my own disc golf course. With the Atlanta summer heat index well into the miserable 100's, the time seemed right, and fellow disc golfer Brad Meier and I headed north on a spur of the moment combined trip to Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Mecca of sport aviation, and Flip City, Shelby, Michigan, Mecca of disc golf. Oshkosh: been there done that before. Flip City: epic.
Having heard so many great things about Flip over the years, our expectations were high, and neither of us got much sleep the night before our visit, as the anticipation of playing one of the best disc golf courses on the planet had us all keyed up. We'd given Bill, creator of Flip City, a courtesy call prior to the trip just to make sure we were good to go, he gave us the green light, and the trip was on. Airline flight Atlanta to Detroit, and rental car drive Detroit to Shelby dragged on forever, but as we finally got to within 10 minutes or so of Flip, the pavement faded to gravel, time seemed to slow down, and the beautiful landscape gave us a hint of what was to come.
I wasn't sure what to expect pulling into Bill's driveway...giant flashing neon Flip City sign?...big asphalt parking lot?...wrong end of the spectrum. The place is quaint and understated with only a few initial subtle hints of disc golf. The faint word "Flip" was mowed into the grass in the front yard. Nice touch. Stepping out of the rental car, we were the only sign of life on the property, aside from the swarm of seasonal deer flies buzzing around our heads (we were in season). Near the parking area, a small faded wooden sailboat sits on a pedestal, and around the corner of a shed is an old mailbox nailed to the wall with scorecard/course maps and pencils. There's a donation lock box labeled "$1". $1...are you kidding me...to play this legendary private course? My first insight into the kind of guy Bill is.
The #1 tee pad, around the shed, is marked by a diminutive white post and points out towards Bill's front yard. No tee signs, huh. "Must be that-a-way", over the hill between those trees? Our hunch was confirmed with a few steps up the hill to get a visual on the basket. I almost aced #1 with my trusty Road Runner. Let's see, next tee...no next tee signs either, huh...there it is...over there, and the pad points "that-a-way", basket must be over there somewhere. We continued working our way around the first five holes using the "must be that-a-way" method, noticing the increasingly beautiful scenery, swatting deer flies, and certainly enjoying but not blown away with the course...until we found the #6 tee. Wow...now I get it! Absolutely beautiful. After putting out, we followed a meandering path we hoped would lead us to...Holy Cow!...#7...even more picturesque off the tee than #6. Ok, officially blown away now. And so it went.
And then we stepped up to #11. The scene unfolds below and in front of you like stepping into a wonderland. Curious rock sculptures sprout up randomly around the manicured grass fairway, loosely bordered by knee high wild flower spattered rough areas, serrated by ribbons of artistically mowed pathways. Mesmerized, we grab for our cameras with no thought of grabbing for a disc. Finally, oh yeah, we gotta tee off don't we. I managed another decent Road Runner pull, but "niced" Brad's Wraith just as it turned over and headed for the rough. Finding it was a breeze though, thanks to the accommodating mowed paths in the knee high wild flowers.
As we continued around the course, learning to spot the subtle pathways to the next tee, and realizing the lay of the land is all the tee sign you really need here, we began to appreciate the "experience" of playing Flip, as one beautiful fairway after another eased into view before us. Somewhere along the way, without mention, we stopped keeping score, ridding ourselves of any additional stress. Our fun meters were pegged. Even the Deer Flies seemed to cut us some slack, or maybe we just quit noticing them, as we became fully immersed in the incredibly beauty of this special place. A wind chime played some faint background music. Brad and I respectfully added our own small touch to the Flip City tapestry, stacking a couple of small stones on one of the many rock sculptures, and writing a thank you note in sharpie to Bill on a picnic table, already covered in countless signatures, musings and hieroglyphics from 30 years of disc golfers. Another insight into Bill's psyche, inviting his guests to become a part of his creation.
As we progressed through the layout, I began to understand and respect the "feel-good" nature of Flip City. Having played Flyboy hundreds of times, with it's heart-pounding lake challenges, every trick in the bag required, and mental and physical endurance demands, it was a welcome relief to be able to totally relax and enjoy a completely different realm of disc golf. With nary a par 4 or 5 to worry about, my "Nut Sac" of four trusty discs was plenty to play Flip (Oh. The "Nut Sac" is a small travel bag I use on the road). Remember, Bill built this course 30 years ago, when a 250-foot drive was a pretty good rip. To choose between Flip and Flyboy...well, they're two entirely different animals. Brad and I, both pilots, mused it'd be like trying to decide whether you'd want to fly a vintage WWII P-51 Mustang, or a supersonic, high tech F-22 Raptor, each sexy fighter planes in their own right. We'd give both our arms to be able to fly either.
It is understandable to me now how Flip City, one of the very first private courses in the sport, has stood the test of time, and in fact become part of the history and lore of disc golf: one word...Bill. We were able to meet and chat with him after the round, because he gave up his afternoon at the lake to wait for us to finish the course. Bill has dedicated about 30 years of his life to his dream, and I really do mean major sacrifice...in his personal life, the enormous amount of work he's done not only creating this jewel, but meticulously maintaining it on a daily basis. And financially...how many thousands upon thousands of dollars of his own money has he invested over the years to make this course one of the best in the world? The mailbox nailed on the side of the shed says "$1 to play". C'mon Bill.... you kidd'n me! One dollar won't even pay to back the mower out of the shed! But that's Bill's way, quietly motoring along, almost apologizing for asking that you please not bring your dog to crap around the course, or throw your cigarette butts down, or donate $1 to play. I urge you to ignore the ridiculous "$1" sign and donate as much as you possibly can afford to the Flip City cause. And if you insist on throwing your cigarette butts on the ground, just wait and throw them down right at Bill's feet when you finish. He's the one ultimately going to be picking them up, might as well save him walking around the course to do it. Don't forget, this is a private venue. There's no grounds crew to mow and clean up after you, there's no public funding coming in to build, maintain, and improve the course, there's just Bill.
If you wanted specific hole-by-hole details about Flip City, read some of the other detailed, well-written reviews. To me, this course is so much more about experiencing something very special in our sport, than about the mathematics of a perfect disc golf hole, the stats on the course, or even your score. It's about enjoying a once in a lifetime, unique disc golf experience, and well worth the time, effort, and money to come up here to "Mecca", and experience it for yourself.
Kelly Leggette
Flyboy Aviation