18 baskets on some of the most varied elevation you'll ever see creating incredibly unique holes. Updated tee signs will be a huge plus when they've all been installed. They're very informative as they show each pin with distance and par, as well as elevation change, but unfortunately they were only to be found on 10 of the 18 holes.

Elevation use is second-to-none out of the courses I've played to date. The first tee alone is a 90ft drop down a tunnel with a left finish. Hole 2 is one of the most unique holes I've ever played. A short, uphill control shot that needs to land in the middle of the fairway so you can get a good second shot… through a lane that drops 70ft to the longest pin. Less dramatic (but still significant) drops on 3, 5, 7, 10, 11 and 12. Massive uphill shots on 8, 16, and 17, and some with less grade to them on 9, 13, and 16. Top it off with the valley shot on 18 and you'll see holes like none other all over this course. The best part about it is that all these (besides maybe hole 10) have a very fair line to the pin/landing zone. While some of the shots are extremely difficult, they never go into "unfair" territory.

When there's not insane elevation, the trees are around to keep you honest. 5, 6, and 7 are the best examples, 5 has trees all the way down on the right side to make sure you get the distance over the creek before allowing you to hit the pin (my third metal hit of the week with no ace), 6 has gaps to handle on the left and right, both with low ceilings (a creek looms left of both of these fairways), then Hole 7 tees from elevation, has a ceiling to get under, then stay straight down the fairway. This was the only hole I remember being disappointed in the pin placement as it's likely more fun in one of the par 4 spots than a 380ft bridie or die ceiling shot. 13 also has a lot of trees to beat all the way down the blind, uphill fairway.

For being such a rugged course, the rough really isn't too bad if a disc gets in it. The shrubbery is mostly off the ground, except when it's shielding a road (2, 3, 5)

Doglegs in tight woods are great on 11 and 12, both very reachable as they're downhill but easy to mess up as the tunnels are quite tight. And balanced as 11 turns right and 12 turns left. 14 is also a dogleg right after a more open – but much longer – fairway.

Navigation is the main downside here. 1 to 2, 3 to 4, and 8 to 9 are the worst offenders, but there are plenty of really clunky transitions and without prior knowledge or a map you could get pretty turned around. I've added directions for some of the tougher ones in the course description, but the main thing is to keep an eye out for is the red arrows nailed to the trees. They're not very big, and they're usually pretty high up, but when you do see them, they make a big difference.

Some poor areas of holes. Hole 1's approach shot will have the left route unavailable if there are cars in the parking lot. Hole 13 plays right next to the busiest road in the park, and Hole 2's approach is straight toward a road, albeit a much less busy one. Hole 10 I really want to like, but the gaps and ceiling required by the tree in the middle of the fairway make reaching the dogleg extremely difficult. Might play fine as a par 4 in the longest position, but challenging the dogleg off the tee is not something I'd want to try.

Inconsistency in amenities, the new tee signs disappear on hole 4, come back on 5 and 6, disappear until 12, then go all the way to 16, and gone on 17 and 18. Concrete tees are present on the first 8 holes, are gone for 9-12, is back on 13, a gravel one on 14, concrete on 15, dirt on 16 and 17, and concrete on 18. I can't really understand any rhyme or reason to the missing ones, and I hope the upgrades get finished soon.

As recommended, the course will definitely be better after the leaves fall. The hillside fairway of 8 was absolutely covered in stinging nettle and I also found some past the basket on hole 1.

Prepare yourself for a very taxing round here. As the title says, this is a hike with a side of disc golf. I've played 11,000ft+ courses on foot, I've done golf courses with long walks in between holes… this beat out them all for the wear-you-out factor with the amount of elevation you gain and drop over a round, and that's just in between holes! I played in the summer and I wouldn't recommend that unless you lower your expectations, but I can imagine a round after the greenery dies out is pretty incredible.

Do I recommend this course? Yes, but know that in the summer Hole 8 may be unplayable and you'll be really hoofing it. If you're in town over the winter it's a no-brainer. You'll see some impressive and unique holes that you'll remember for a long while.

Just like every other reviewer said... lots of blind throws up and over the mountain. Terrain is awesome and the trees make you pick your line and if you stray you will pay. You can get a good work out walking the course so be ready for a hike.

Need to concrete the tee pads and mark pads. It has not rained in a long time and I am glad, it would be very muddy if it had. No next tee directions and it could use it. The leaves being moved off the trail leading to the next tee box helped in guiding. Little to no seating or trash cans along the course. If they had them then maybe the lazy golfers would not leave garbage along the course.

I printed and carried the map to help get around the course. You need the map and then it is not hard to navigate and the map is 100% correct. I only took one wrong turn going from hole 8 to 9. For this one just stay on the flat and walk right around the end of the hill, do not go up the trail just across the road. Could be an easy 5 disks with a few more touch ups and additions.

UPDATE: My wife and I love this course and spent two days picking up all the trash along it. There was about 140 lbs of trash we picked up and most of it glass. Is it so hard to "Carry In and Carry Out"? Don't play it if you can't do your part.

This course has a little bit of everything for the experienced golfer.

* Elevation... Yes, I realize this course is located in Nebraska, but there is massive elevation to be found here. The course plays over and around several very large cliffs/bluffs, I would guess in the 100'-200' tall range. You do it all here: some holes are on level ground, others are extreme uphill shots, some are extreme downhill shots, and everything in-between. Roll-aways are plentiful here as most of the baskets are positioned on or near a slope of some sort.

Water... Not a ton of water on this course. There is a small creek that comes into play on a handful of holes, but nothing too serious. The elevation makes up for the lack of water, in my opinion.

Seclusion... One of my favorite things about this course is the seclusion it provides. Being as the course winds through the bluffs and with all the trees, the course could be pretty full and you wouldn't know it. The fairways are pretty tight and don't cross each other. In fact, there are only a few spots where you can even see the fairways of other holes.

Challenge... This course will force you to use almost every shot in your bag, except maybe a roller. In my one round I threw forehand about as must as I did backhand (I'm primarily a RHBH player), threw several flex shots and several overhand shots (aka thumbers, tomahawks, etc.). The course has a handful of par 4's, and trust me they are true par 4's. If you are expecting to bomb some drives 400 + feet here, it isn't going to happen. The course is very technical and you are forced to make shots, not just throw as far as possible. The majority of the holes can be played with a mid and putter, maybe a fairway driver. The fairways are well defined, and the course design awards good shots and punishes bad ones. Throw a good shot, and you are fine. Throw a bad shot or kick off a tree... it may take a couple throws to get back on the fairway. While some fairways force you to fit your throw into a somewhat tight window, I felt the course was very fair. I was able to find at least a couple possible lines on every hole.

*Design... The course flows really well and there is plenty of parking next to hole 1 at the Nature Center. I didn't explore too much, but I assume there are restroom facilities at the Nature Center as well.

Infrastructure... While this is listed as a con, I am not dinging this in my rating. At the moment, most tee pads are dirt. A handful of used rubber tee pads have been placed on the tees in the spots that are easily accessible. If someone is playing for the first time along and mapless, it could be confusing... but the trails are well-defined between holes so its not a big deal. I realize that the course is not completely finished, so this doesn't affect its rating. The tee pads are dug out and cement pads are due in this spring, as well as tee signs. I've seen the design for the signs myself, and they are first-class all the way. Erosion control is another area that could be worked on. I could easily see tee pads getting covered with dirt/mud after a heavy rain as it runs down the hill side. There is some in place already, as well as some spots with steps to help climbing. Some more steps could be added in other places to help with climbing up and down the hills. I'm sure this too will be on the way soon.

Location... The course is located north of downtown Omaha along the Missouri River. It is a somewhat remote park, so don't expect to see many houses. Because the terrain is so extreme, it is hard to get from one side of the course to another without following the few roads that run through the park. Food/beverage is 10-15 minutes away. Overall not a big deal.

Safety... Really the only ding I have on the course is the safety aspect. Being as the terrain is so extreme, injuries are a definite possibility. The slopes are very steep, and slipping/falling/sprained ankles can easily happen. Extreme caution is advised in this area. If something serious were to happen in the middle of the park, it may be a challenge for EMT crews. I went on a day where there was snow melting, and many holes were extremely muddy. I slipped and fell several times traversing the slopes, and a guy in our group took a pretty good spill. If there is snow melting or it has recently rained, I would seriously reconsider playing the course until it has dried up a bit. The whole safety bit should be a non-issue as long as you are cautious and don't shank your shots too bad :S

Overall Hummel is a fabulous course, probably the best in Nebraska and when finished one of the top courses in the Midwest. It makes for challenging golf for the experienced player while not being so ridiculous that an intermediate level player can't have a good time. I haven't played a ton of places, but I have played courses such as Blue Ribbon Pines and the Kansas City courses such as Water Works, Cliff Drive, Rosedale, etc. I would put Hummel right up there with these, maybe even above them. The closet comparison I can come up with is Water Works in KC, except Hummel has more trees and in some cases more extreme elevation (I didn't think it was possible). It is def. worth the drive to play, I guarantee you won't be disappointed!

- Course is set within a large city park that has tons of trees and tons of hilliness. Some holes play close to a few roads, but it seems like there shouldn't be any conflicts.
- Majority of the holes are set within a dense forest, that has a wide variety of shots to be found. Some of these are spectacularly epic. #1 is a steep, monster downhill hyzer with OB lurking on the bottom. #2 is a shorter, tight uphill shot, followed by another STEEP downhill shot, finishing right, with a nasty rollaway. #18 is a nice long, wooded shot that has to clear a deep valley and then go way back up to reach the pin. Major punishment to be found here.
- Other holes in the deep woods aren't as intense, but still provide challenge. A blind uphill hyzer on #9 plays a lot longer that 286', a tight downhill RHBH anny or RHFH shot on #10 and #11 provide small windows, #16 is a super low/tight window uphill with a right finish. A few holes are more open to provide a break as well, like a shorter downhill on #3, a shorter uphill (pretty steep though) on #8, and a blind up-and-over on #17. Fantastic mix overall.
- Rest of the holes, basically 4-7, are in a flatter area of the park with larger, more mature trees. There is still some rolling terrain, especially next to a small creek that is running through the holes. A bit of a gap on #4, slight right finish, with the basket across the creek. Laying up here leads to an uphill, over-the-water putt. #5 has the creek running alongside to the left, open to both hyzer or a RHFH shot. #7 is the highlight; an elevated tee RHBH flex shot, long, with a finish left down by the creek.
- As described above, there is so much to this course. Lots of trees, in varying amounts. Lots of hills - way uphill, slight uphill, rolling terrain, slight downhill, and some way, way downhill. Water present in a few spots, and some well-placed artificial OB. Some well protected baskets thanks to water, slopes, and placement by trees. Good variety in hole length and difficulty. Yowza.
- Baskets are good, and the dirt tees aren't so bad. BUT, there are no signs as of right now, and the baskets don't even have numbers on them yet. Without the info on this site, you could be in serious trouble. There is spray paint to help find the next tee, current tee, and general basket placement, but some holes are tough to find. Hopefully will be brought up to snuff in the near future.

- There are some stairs present in spots, and small bridges to cross the creek, other spots are extremely treacherous just based on the hilliness combined with dirt/mud. I could see the place being nearly impossible to play if there was mud present. Hard to count extreme elevation as a con, but it would make things tough.
- Entrance road, and regular road, are pretty close in a few spots. Just a distraction, and doesn't help the overall feeling of seclusion.

- Well, long story short, I was blown away by this course. Every hole has something interesting going on, even the most open hole out there provides a fun downhill RHFH flex shot for me, with OB lurking to the left and by the pin. The first two and the last hole are especially memorable, for different reasons. I hope to make it out again someday...
- Beginners should stay away from this course, both to save frustration and avoid possibly having to traverse a cliff for a shanked drive. Even experienced players might have a tough time getting around, but should enjoy the tough golf to be found.