Hastings, MI

Hammond Hill DGC

3.475(based on 36 reviews)
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11 3
E-man
Experience: 14.8 years 22 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Hammond Hill-Hastings 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 9, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Shot variety. This course has lots of it. The front nine holes are generally very tight/technical holes with many trees and trouble off the narrow fairways. The back nine are much more open, but still have some trees/huge bushes to navigate around. Overall, it has a mixture of short, long (none extremely long), left, right, open, wooded, uphill, and downhill.

-Risky pin placements. While only a handful of them, they still keep it interesting. Some are on a hill, some are protected by trees, and one sits atop a 5-6ft cone-like mound of land.

-Beauty. The course is somewhat like a nature hike, more so in the front nine where there is a view of a lake and a picnic table to sit and enjoy it. Even the open holes have their beauty as they go across some rolling hills.

-Tee signs/pads: Excellent in a word. They are large and include distances to both short and long pin placements from both long and short tees. Teepads are concrete and new looking, but just a tad on the small side for my tastes.

-Baskets. Excellent condition. There is also a practice basket just (and I mean just) off the parking lot. Not much room around it, but its there.

Cons:

-Blind holes. I don't really mind these, but there are just so many of them! After playing this course four times, it is still a pain because I can't exactly remeber where the pin is. This may frustrate first-timers.

-Maintenance. It seems a little unkempt, especially in the summer months. Some fairways had grass that was shin-high or better. It is a relatively new course, so hopefully it will get better with time.

-Sitting areas/trash cans. While there are a few picnic tables in some pretty nice spots, a few more "rest areas" would be nice. There is a good number of trash cans, but they are only 5gal. buckets that were overflowing every time I played here.

Other Thoughts:

I am updating this because after having more than one year of DG experience, I think I can write a better review. The course takes you back to the parking lot after hole 9, which I think is really cool. It comes in handy if you want to restock your drinks, add/remove a layer of clothing, or use the porta-john near the parking lot. I think the porta-john is only a summer thing, as it wasn't there last time I played in early April.
Bugs can be an issue and I won't play here w/o bug spray in the summer.
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7 9
discinboogs
Experience: 23.5 years 123 played 15 reviews
5.00 star(s)

wow 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 6, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Very creative course. The course make you want to hate it at first because you didn't hit the line, but play it two more times and I guarantee it will become a favorite course.Lots of distance and Discraft Chainstars + LOTS of challenges make this course a trainer

Cons:

natural teepads

Other Thoughts:

Imagination makes this course what it is and can be appreciated by the player who can master the mental aspect and hitting lines (AS ALWAYS) is even more crucial here. Make sure you know where the basket is. You came to this course to see what it is like, don't complain that you missed the putting area if you just prayed that you were playing at the putting area.
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2 6
nrohtlaw
Experience: 31 years 37 played 9 reviews
4.00 star(s)

New course,new game. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 1, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Very unique layout,great design,up and down hills,through the trees,across valleys and gully's,multiple pin placements.Not too hard to navigate and has seperate 9 hole's so you can refill beverages before continuing.

Cons:

Some of the dirt tee pads are on uneven ground,thick rough,large dead fall,tall grass,dense foilage,and alot of blind upshots.Some of the local Hasting young players can be discourteous.

Other Thoughts:

This course is in its infancy,after a couple of years I am sure it will be broken in.Very worth the time to play.Reminds me of some of the courses in northern MI.Use some spotters on some of the blind holes.
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5 2
MDeezy
Experience: 21.5 years 132 played 14 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Eagle scout project a success 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 4, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Very nice course overall. This course has great elevation changes, nice scenery, and a good test to your skill level. The front nine is mostly wooded, the back nine mostly open. Course is well marked with arrows for direction, and has great signs at every hole. Short and long pin positions on every hole keep the course changing throughout the season (check the board by hole 1 for schedule). The pin position on 13 long is one of a kind. Holes 1 and 10 both start by the parking lot for variable play.

Cons:

This course provides a good challenge and can be very humbling. Many blind shots, high grass, and thick forest. Some areas of the course can be wet and bugs are always hungry here. Some shots might require a spotter.

Other Thoughts:

This course is about an hour away from me (one way), but I think it is worth the drive. I have found it is most enjoyable in spring/late spring. Things can get very overgrown here, and the bugs can be very bad. Course is secluded and spreads out over a great landscape. If it's your first time, go with someone who has played here before. Don't forget to check the board by hole 1 for pin schedule.
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4 8
samwise
Experience: 25.5 years 1 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

HAMMOND HILL DISC GOLF COURSE 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 9, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Lots of variety with long and short teepads and long and short pin locations. Long tees are cement, shorts are not. Tee signs signify wich location the baskets are in with a zip strip.(crude but works). Also there is a schedule hanging in the parking lot by #1. Front nine more wooded but more dueceable. Back nine more open and challenging. Lots of elevation changes makes it fun. Cement!!!!!!!Woodchips!!!!!!

Cons:

People not showing up for cement pouring day.
Fair weather golfers/workers

Other Thoughts:

Lots of work to still do out here. Thanks to all who have helped with this project. All that has been done out here is either donated or sponsored by local business. The more this gets played the better it is going to get.

This course is starting to look and play really nice. Please replay if last year was the only time you played. You may not recognize it.
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10 10
Terry C
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 27.7 years 54 played 27 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Has potential, needs work...welcome to the jungle 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Feb 19, 2020 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Potential to be one of the best in the area
-nice scenery
-old hiking trail, good hiking
-unique, intersting park layout
-elevation changes
-Cement pads
-Nice baskets, also a practice basket on site
-Has the land available to be a better course someday
-Multiple pin placements

Cons:

-almost every hole is a blind shot
-several 5 foot wide super tight unreasonable fairways down winding hiking paths.
-the weeds even in the fairways are like 2-3 feet tall, in the rough forget about your disc cause its gone. Off the fairway your screwed, even on the fairway you might lose discs. (getting better, more beat in recently)
-More time spent looking for discs every throw than actual play time. (bring a guide who knows the course)
-Thousands of trees everywhere to pound your disc into. Cut some trees down or remake some holes please!!
-Very unkept park at the time I played it, I dont know about now but it wasnt mowed or groomed anywhere in any way. It was like being out in the middle of the woods on a hiking trail with baskets.
-Complicated layout made it impossible to find the right way to navigate throughout the park without a map or a guide, we got lost and missed a couple holes several times throughout the park which was frusterating.
-You will find it hard to throw for D here. I was afraid to throw my disc more than 100 feet for fear of losing site of it, you lose sight of your disc here and its gone.
-This course desperitely NEEDS weedwacking and mowing and all around maintenece big time, there was nothing being done for maintenence. (getting better recently)
-difficulty level on a 1-10 was about 9.5 due to the non-existance of course maintenece, this wasnt a very enjoyable to DGC to play for me at all. (getting better)
- Very few to no fairways here at all, just rough foliage and trees everywhere.
-The signs here dont help with navigation at all.
-The course seems to have changed layouts every time I'm there, pretty confusing

Other Thoughts:

A couple baskets were up on these 15 feet high mounds making for a challenging putt scenario. There are a bunch of local guys who are from the area that have been improving it over time for sure. The way this park is layed out is pretty bad and has to be redone to be worth the time to play, It could be much MUCH better and definitely will be in the future as it gets improved and beat in more. It desperitely needs mowed and weedwacked fairways that are beat down. This course probly needs 2-3 years to work out its many irritating negative factors before its worth playing for someone who actually knows what a good disc golf course is supposed to be like. (update getting better as time goes by). I got bad poison ivy out there as its everywhere along the trails (being that they dont maintain anything here), This course does have a unique layout and "COULD" be a great one someday but falls so short in many ways as of right now. Have bug spray, hiking boots, pants and anything you would bring along for an aggresive mountain hike through poison ivy and prickers.Dont be a hater with the thumbs down, Im just being honest. These 4 1/2 and 5 disc reviews for this park are seemingly bias do to local reviews.there are much better local disc golf courses than this that are only rated 3 discs. Me and a buddy lost two discs here trying to throw short and safe on the "so called" fairway. We spent 2 hours playing disc golf and 2 extra fun filled hours looking for our lost discs which sucked big time and killed all hopes of us enjoying this course. I'll come back next year and see how much it has improved because It really does have potential to be a good one in the future. I do see a diamond in the rough here. This course "COULD" be a 4ish rated someday. It has the land available for a potentially great course. A good course designer would have a ball re-designing this course.

(UPDATE 3/2/2020)
The course is getting beat in and more enjoyable to play. Still confusing, it seems to constantly change, although this is a good thing. It would help tremendously to have a guide with you who knows the course. One of the major downfalls of the course is bugs, it is much better to play on non summer months to avoid fly's and mosquitos. I literally used a whole can of bug spray last summer on 9 holes and had to leave after that, I couldn't finish my round, there were clouds of billions of mosquitos swarming us, never seen anything like it. I'm upping my rating of the course though, its getting beat in nicely and has changed a lot over the years as I knew it would.
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8 4
Innovadude
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 26.5 years 235 played 185 reviews
2.50 star(s)

starts out OK 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 23, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Scenic, good use of the available land and terrain.
Challenging, but not overwhelming most of the time. Has a course map, signs.
Not much ivy for what you'd expect.

Cons:

Lacking in tee pads, course maintenance (very new) and mowing.
Some rather ridiculous holes, often blind, requiring an intimate knowledge of the course to not get frustrated. A few poke and pray type shots really take away from the skill factor. One hole has you throwing 300' ish across a field then into a tree line, trying to aim for a closed in 10' ft gap, then winding your way up in the woods another 100' through random trees. Better off just hucking it and hoping than trying to throw a good shot (I missed the gap by a foot and ended up outside the woods, totally rejected, another guy missed it by 15' ft and got right through like there's no trees and parked it- total luck hole).
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7 2
Jim Play Two
Experience: 46.4 years 26 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

All alone in Hastings. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 15, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Need Long Straight teeshots in a beautiful hilly wooded terrain to survive this outstanding gem hidden in the countryside. The Eagle Scouts did an awsome job!! Donate when you are there.The signs are very informative although a little help to the next tee would not be bad. We were the only car in the parking lot at 11:30am on a Saturday and the only one there when we got ready to leave. We found our way around without too many problems. The tees are well marked and the dual locations for tees and baskets would give this coarse variety and challenge for the locals who play regularly. It is very challenging and well worth the trip to play. Very rarely can you see your intended target, this is not your mama's disc golf coarse!

Cons:

Just flat out got lost trying to find a couple tees and #17 basket way up on the hill behind the poplars..

Other Thoughts:

Only a few holes give you a look at the basket. Even the long straight holes have the basket tucked in to the left or right in the trees. Save a lot of time by having someone in your party go up ahead and help spot where the other people's discs land. You can get into trouble very easily.
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4 5
worthdan
Experience: 18.3 years 9 played 9 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 27, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Excellent course!!! Great variety - wooded and open fairways, elevation changes, short, long, very long holes, narrow and wide fairways. Long and short tee and basket positions lead to even more variety. Very fun course and definitely worth playing!!!

Cons:

no tee signs yet (but there will be some very soon), no schedule for when the baskets are in the long or short positions, if you venture off the fairways then it is overgrown (they are working on this, but the course is brand new so I'll cut them a break on this one)

Other Thoughts:

this has become on of my favorite courses in southwest Michigan. can be a pretty tough course then the baskets are in the longs. check it out and you wont be disappointed.
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8 0
TunaSled
Experience: 32.6 years 37 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

I'm tired and that's good. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 15, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Excellent basket placement through a scenic hike. Holes are well thought out if not a bit difficult, which adds to the challenge and charm. Brand new baskets are always nice, I love that sound when you mash a long putt. Course was freshly mowed upon our arrival, I've heard complaints about overgrown fairways but this was not the case.

Cons:

Bugs and critters. We encountered a large snake that was ready to bite, luckily we spotted him right after he saw us and he retreated into the rough. I got stung by a ground hornet on 8, beware nests just beyond the basket. Cement tee pads would be nice, hopefully that is in the works. I'd like to see a pavillion near the parking lot or at least a better place to chill and eat between rounds.

Other Thoughts:

Get your birdies early as this course provides few opportunities on the back 9. The long tees are very challenging but easier to find than the shorts. Very rugged, demanding course, prepare for a long day.
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5 4
Jkoz
Experience: 19.5 years 123 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Hammond Hill rocks 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 4, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course is awesome. There are dual tee and pin placements. I have played long tees to short baskets and long tees to long baskets. There is quite a bit of elevation. The front nine starts out with a good mix of wooded and open holes. Hole 7 is a phenomenal design that rewards drive placement. the back nine gets longer but it is pretty open. the course is on beautiful property and if you like playing challenging courses you will not be disappointed

Cons:

No cement tees, no schedule as to when baskets are in the long or short position, it is too far away from grand rapids to play regularly

Other Thoughts:

this course tops any in grand rapids--hands down no discussion-- and i prefer the course to fallasburg--lowell, mi because the wooded holes offer a more realistic chance of hitting the gaps
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7 2
david_hedstrom
Experience: 19.7 years 62 played 10 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Hammond Hill 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 31, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great mix of shots. Anywhere from dogleg right and left, ravines, elevation changes, lots of blind drives. Really a fun course to play. The baskets were great, brand new and my favorite mach V's. There are some interesting shots aspecially on the front 9 that make you think a little and that are quite challenging.

Cons:

The rough on the back 9 was pretty daunting. Hole 17 was pretty ridiculous, the routes you had to choose from were odd but it worked out ok I suppose. The holes could be marked a little bit better on the back 9 but over all it wasn't too confusing.

Other Thoughts:

Shot a 59 my first time out which wasn't terrible considering the course was pretty demanding. I would absolutely recommend this course to be played by all. The more people play it, the more it will get beat in and become a truly great course. You need to get as many birdies as possible on the front because the back will be more difficult. Watch out for animals; saw some deer which was cool but also a lot of hornets and a few good sized snakes. There are dual pin placements for all holes but hole one. The long placements are bruatal and much more challenging; hole 13 comes to mind about a 600 ft hole with the basket elevated on a 12-15 ft mound (hole 2 also has an elevated basket) which makes for difficult putting.
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6 1
Kenn
Experience: 17.2 years 1 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Hammond Hill DGC 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 17, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good parking. Tees #1, basket #9, tee #10 and basket #18 in very close proximity to parking lot.
Extremely challenging design with plenty of elevation changes and technical shot making. Utilizes Chainstar baskets. Varying terraine. Front nine wooded and tight. Back nine more open and field like, but also technical. Back nine has some long holes. Course has alternate tee pads and alternate basket placements.

Cons:

Due to the newness of the course (sometime in 2008)... as to not mention all the cons...Hammomd Hill DGC is a work in progress, but very playable. I'm sure the involved managers know this and are working to make it better.

Other Thoughts:

Hammond Hill DGC is a very new disc golf course. I have only been playing disc golf for about 1.5 years and I really liked playing it. (Nyet to Azar 002) A very challenging and scenic design with varying terrain. In time this course will be in the books as a go to course.
Yes...the course does need maintainence, but this is simply due to the newness of it. On the front there is alot of loose logs in the fairways and near some baskets (could be moved). Plus I think the fairways on the back nine could use some mowing to show direction Not to mention signage. Plus some of the Autumn Olives could be removed as well on the backside.
There were three of us playing (all of us new to Hammond) and although we had to be spotters and scouts for each other (to find baskets & typical for a new design) we did not lose one disc. But rest assured we were pooped when we finished #18. We discussed the course afterwards and unanamously decided we would be back to play Hammomd Hill DGC again very soon. Possibly making a day of it.
So I say thumbs down to Azar 002 who dis'ed Hammond. Hammond is (going to be) typical of a good Michigan course. I do hope though that the course managers do put in cement pads or rubber fly pads in the future. Oh yes...did I mention mowing?
I am going to give Hammond Hill a good rating (3.0) I hope in the future I can give it a 3.5. Who knows maybe (in time) it could be the Hammond Hill Disc Golf Country Club of Hastings. Rivaling the Hastings ball golf country club.
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3 6
Azar002
Experience: 19.4 years 13 played 13 reviews
1.50 star(s)

3 and a half hours. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 16, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

If you are a TRUE professional, this course is for you. The baskets are new, with nice new chains. Much elevation change. As an incentive to throw straight, the overgrowth will eat up your disc if you are off course even a bit. Many holes "snake" through woods, on the edge of hills, over hills, and around clusters of trees.

Cons:

Overgrown, overgrown, overgrown. Pads are barely worn, and "pro" pads are ridiculously long... "stupid long" as I called it. The 10 of us are good golfers, in our 5th season. On EVERY hole we had to first find the barely marked tees, then run ahead to find the basket. The first team that shot had to walk ahead and "spot" every drive, and even then at least one disc required a "search party" on every other hole or so. On this particular day the wind was strong. Scores for doubles on the back 9 were from +3 to +9. Again, I will say, the main con for this course: OVERGROWTH. Be prepared to spend about 3 hours on this course. You will spend a lot of time looking for discs, even the ones you watch land in the fairways (which was 10 inch grass the day we went). On hole 16 or so I decided to enjoy my time at this course, because I decided it would be the last time I ever be there.

Other Thoughts:

10 of us played this course. 2 sets of 5 singles on the front nine, and 5 sets of doubles on the back nine. The front nine was pretty nice, average score around +5. The back nine was unbelievable. Do not waste your time driving out to this course. I will not return, and if I do it will be because I was dragged there against my will.
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2 6
B-rad
Experience: 16.7 years 1 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Hammond Hill 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 15, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

A challenging course with lots of variety Probably 5 short, 3 med, 10 long (really long). Lots of blind tee offs. Good elevation change. Secluded...for now. They have Baskets now.

Cons:

If you don't know where to go you won't know where to go. no pads yet.

Other Thoughts:

I like pizza. I lost my lighter...I'm freakin out man!
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8 4
FoleyT
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.5 years 86 played 85 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Potential 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 20, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Has the possibility of being a really nice course with some more work devoted to it. Some interesting holes, some extreme downhills, some beautiful scenery, a good mixture of wooded and meadow situations. To be fair, I may have played this course too early in the season, because only 3 baskets were in place, and everything else was indicated by pvc pipe and landscaping flags.

Cons:

Course needs some better navigation aids. Several times I found myself wandering all over the place looking for the next hole, and many times I found both the long and short tees, but had no idea where I was shooting for. Tee areas needs a lot of work, many times you are teeing off in bumpy overgrown terrain, and be careful of turning an ankle wandering through the meadowlands on your way to the basket. It remains to be seen how much grooming is planned on for later in the year, but I can imagine the back nine becoming an overgrown mess with the potential for lots of wasted time searching for discs in the brush. If someone knows any more about this course, I'd be interested in hearing whether or not baskets are scheduled to be put in here later in the season?

Other Thoughts:

Not sure if it is worth the long drive from Grand Rapids as the course stands right now, but I'd be willing to drive down and take another look later in the summer.

ADDENDUM (summer 2009): Nice new baskets (except missing on #4 for some reason). As I suspected, once the trees and undergrowth filled in on this course, it becomes an exercise in futility. You need a spotter on nearly every hole, and even then, be prepared to hunt for discs from time to time. Didn't even bother to play the back nine with all that long grass waiting to swallow up discs. Not really worth the long drive from Grand Rapids, unless you have a lot of time to devote to it.
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