Jackson, MI

Jackson College DGC

2.725(based on 16 reviews)
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7 0
1-UP
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 56 played 20 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good Fundamental Skill Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 16, 2017 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This is a nice course for a beginning player, though it doesn't have any specific challenges or holes that stand out.

Entire course is played on what can only be described as a lawn. Underbrush and hazards in general are non-existent aside from high-canopied trees and one spot of cattails. It made for a pleasant evening as bugs were non existent and discs were essentially impossible to lose.

There is some elevation at play. Nothing I would call a "hike", but small hills and swells are made use of. At least one basket has been artificially elevated via dirt mound which made putting a bit more interesting than usual.

Course is clean, well-manicured, and quiet! It made for a pleasant walk with the wife as we made our rounds through the holes.

Very nice, new concrete tee pads. Baskets were all in excellent repair.

Hole distance varies. The holes generally have several good lines available and give the opportunity for some real distance driving for folks with a good arm. There are also several shorter holes that I imagine will lend themselves to their fair share of aces.

Cons:

Course appears to be under the tail-end of a major renovation and it's not quite finished off yet. A map is more or less mandatory as the old signage and labels are still present. Once you get started you can more or less find your way, but the posts aren't always easy to see due to the elevation changes. Hole #1 starts near the red geodesic dome building. Judging by the obvious effort put forward into updating the course, I would be astonished if this wasn't fixed for the 2018 season. 2017 mileage may vary.

Not much in the way of trash cans or benches. A couple of holes had beverage cans resting near the poles though I do want to stress that the course overall is exceptionally clean and well taken care of.

Front 9 seems to be built on newly landscaped land. Soil had a dusty, construction-fill quality with new grass coming up in tufts. Will probably be quite nice if they keep up on watering it. Perfectly tolerable as it is, just one of those things you notice.

Other Thoughts:

Parking might be interesting during campus hours. Many colleges tend to ticket pretty savagely but I can't speak to JCC's policy. Coming on the weekend parking was plentiful and right next to the course beginning/end.

I'd guess it's generally quiet for the summer months but would hazard a guess that things get a lot more lively when school is in session.

Course is a great course for a beginner working on fundamental skills like raw distance and crude aim. I can't think of a shot on the course I'd consider "technical" - maybe hole 18 that has a forked tree in the middle of the lane you could theoretically thread a disc through. Obstacles amount to generously dispersed trees and that's pretty much it.

As a newer player I found it well worth playing for the calm that permeates the course. Being able to focus on simply throwing the disc and not avoiding poison-ivy laden garbage or nasty water was great. That said, there's not much here I'd consider to be a "must play". It's competently laid out, well cared for, and perfect for practicing for the more technical courses that are out there.

UPDATE: Trash cans are now in and plentiful. Signs are now posted at each hole - navigation can still be difficult if you are unfamiliar with the course but things are coming right along. Some old signage still present. Spotted one bench near the water tower - was probably there before and I didn't notice it.

Update 2: This was a review after a few months of playing disc golf and a handful of courses. I've adjusted my score a bit to reflect on the perspective I've gained from new experiences and new courses.
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8 0
B3NDER
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.4 years 120 played 16 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Need more campus courses like this! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 12, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

• This course is installed on Jackson Community College property (as the title says) and makes great use of the land.

- Plenty use of elevation, and good variation of lengths of holes.

- Variety of shots is also good, not too much repetition, which is a huge plus for me.


- Chainstar baskets also a plus, all in decent shape aside from one or two with warpage.

- apdrvya and I played on a school day, so the course was barren, no waiting to shoot and we didn't run into a single soul out on the course aside from someone doing some mowing.

- The tee signs and routing were actually all present, and not too hard on the eyes. It's always nice to know where you're going next (bring a copy of the map just in case)

- All around very scenic, definitely doesn't feel like a "thrown together" school course.

Cons:

• Course could definitely do with a little more maintenance, specifically mowing, as the rough really gets rough.

• Also, the lack of teepads for me cost this course half a disc, as some of the holes don't even have an indicator where you should throw from.

• Course seems to play across a cross-country track of some sort, as there are arrows and lines painted about, so this may come into account on busier days (didn't affect me)

- Can see insects being an issue in spring/summer months, but with bugspray you should be just fine.

Other Thoughts:

As I stated, this course is amazing for being on a campus, and half the time you don't even feel as if you're on a school property. With the right amount of work this course could easily be rated four stars. With some more course maintenance this place could be top-notch.
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4 1
apdrvya
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 14.5 years 354 played 299 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Very pleasantly surprised. great college course! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 12, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Aesthetic-- plays through the campus area and wooded areas on the edges of the JCC campus. didn't see any other people but there were frequent arrows spray painted on the grass so I'm assuming cross-country or 10k/5k type running go on here as well.

Signage-- I'm assuming this isn't typical of this course, but all 18 had GREAT signage with accurate lengths, trees, obstacles and next tee arrows. I was overly impressed with the teesigns.

baskets--chainstars, in reasonable repair, a couple were bent, but all 18 had baskets.

Routing/nav-- take a copy of the map from here, 1, 2, and 7 on were accurate but 3-6 seem to be (at least) partially re-placed. the teesigns will help you route to the next tee. the back 9 could be VERY confusing with multiple trails throughout if you don't have the map.

Challenge-- the lengths here are great. averaging 300-425 this course keeps you throwing but demanding accuracy. the rough is tough but not unreasonable.

Basket placement-- great! tucked into enclaves and behind trees, I love the basket placement here.

Cons:

Risk v Reward-- none really, the rough is the biggest risk, throwing over the rough is definitely a risk. the reward lies on the fairway, trust me.

Teepads--dirt scuffs at best. some places don't even have this. this course would benefit from ANY sort of teepad other than dirt.

Safety-- first couple holes play near benches and busier areas than the rest of the course and could be a little more dangerous.

Other Thoughts:

This course reminds me a lot of Kensington Toboggan. this course could be champion caliber with a few tweaks honestly. the lengths aren't up to toboggan's lengths but the hole layouts do.
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3 0
leindecjoeld
Experience: 12.6 years 18 played 5 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Back nine plays well 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 3, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Good use of elevation
-Good variation on hole lengths
-Never busy

Cons:

-Holes missing
-Baskets damaged
-Course is poorly maintained
-Tee pads are nearly imposable to find
-Holes lay on cross country course, so you may have to wait for runners to pass through

Other Thoughts:

I have tried to play this course as an 18 hole course, but it is nearly imposable to do. Due to the school clearing a wooded section on the south side of the campus two holes no longer exist. My advise with this course is to start with hole ten, and play it as a nine hole course. The back nine has a solid set up. The map shows holes three and six sharing a pin, but this pin is damaged, and hole five does not exist. Also, it is imposable to tell where you are supposed to start for holes three four and six. This and the long walk from hole two over to three make for a hard start to the course. I would say your best bet would be to either start with ten, or play one and two, and then skip to nine and play through. It will save you time guessing where you are supposed to throw from and guessing on pin location.
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2 0
starskeeter
Experience: 13.5 years 6 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good, could be great. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 11, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course has a very nice layout, and plays just on the edge of campus so as not to get in anyone's way. The elevation changes are used very well, and there is a very nice variety to the holes. Overall I really like this course, and with some relatively cheap fixes this course could be very nice.

Cons:

Maintenance is an issue, the grass is very long in some areas (even in the greens). Navigation is an issue, if you don't know this course you could spend a couple of hours trying to find your way around this course (bring a course map). I would recommend that you avoid playing this course by yourself, there are a few too many blind shots that can make your discs difficult to find.

Other Thoughts:

The par for this course is ridiculous. I played the course as all par 3's and still scored a -1. I would recommend just playing them all as par 3's otherwise you could end up with an unrealistic score of -10 or -20.
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2 0
Ricky_Rick
Experience: 13.7 years 8 played 8 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Untapped Potential 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 17, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Very scenic course, lots of rolling hills and elevation changes, quality chain baskets, mowed fairways, solid layout. Strictly a disc golf course behind the college campus. Nice mixture of wide open holes and tight, tunnel like holes thru trees.

Cons:

No official tee-pads, just worn out dirt spots. Four holes missing signage (2,3,4,9). Recent construction eliminated Hole #3, had to make up our own hole #3 using #6 basket. Fallen trees and logs on a couple of fairways. The rough is extremely rough, high grass and bushes make finding stray discs difficult. Deerfly are awful this season, bring Off.

Other Thoughts:

I really enjoy playing this course and wanted to score it higher, but had to be honest. Official tee-pads would be nice, signage needs updating, Hole #3 needs to be added back and some simple lawn work would do wonders. It could get up to a 4.0 rating fairly easy if the college wanted to do so.
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2 0
Fiznizzle
Experience: 13.8 years 15 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Challenging yet Fun course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 29, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Disc Golf Course only!- No one else biking, running, or to look out for other than golfers.

Great use of landscape, hills, tight-closed in areas, a few wide open driving opportunities.

Baskets clearly labeled.


Lots and lots of nature!

Cons:

No Tee Pads, be prepared to look for dirt patches to know where to tee off from.

Hard to find signs/missing signs for tees: Some are in plain sight, others are hidden in brush off to the side, others are simply not anywhere to be found.

Very tight fairways with unforgiving rough. Wear long pants to avoid thistles, prickers, etc. Even brightly colored discs can be lost in the tall, thick brush.

A new parking lot being paved has wiped out Hole #3, no longer visible or playable, you must make your own.

Tee for Hole #4 is gone, must make your own starting point.

Other Thoughts:

Go to the "Links/Files" tab at the top of the page to download the course map!

Thanks for uploading it Ricky Rick, it made playing a heck of a lot easier knowing where to go!
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3 0
elrumpo
Experience: 13.5 years 12 played 12 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Very fun course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 16, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Good variety of long/short holes. Nice baskets which are pretty easy to find even on the first trip. Relatively quiet even on weekends. No water hazards. Some rocks have been added with directions between holes making it a little easier.

Cons:

The later it gets in the summer, the longer the grass grows and the harder it is to find discs not in the fairway.

Missing a couple of holes due to a new dorm build over them...but hopefully they will replace them soon.

Other Thoughts:

This is the first place I ever played disc golf, and it's still my favorite. The good course layout and variety in hole style makes it fun, and the lack of water makes it easy to not worry on most holes.

If they can replace or add a few signs this will be a phenomenal course.

First hole tee is next to the door to the field house, 10th is by the corner of the tennis courts.

After three holes you need to cross over past the big dome (old space center) and around the new dorm into the large field to find the next hole. Once there, you should be able to follow the rest of the front nine.
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3 1
JN9000
Experience: 14.4 years 105 played 7 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 2, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course has great use of elevation changes. If you like hilly courses you should play this course. It's in a scenic area of the Irish Hills, with a great view from under the water tower. The fairways are mowed and well defined. It has a nice variety of holes and is well designed, at least the holes are.

Cons:

Bad signs, on the holes that have them. The first time I played this course me and my friends spent more time looking for the right holes then we did actually playing. There's also a lot of rough that can make finding discs a pain.

Other Thoughts:

For me the hole design and the other pros outweigh the cons. I don't know when all the construction finished up. But the course is better now(2014) then it ever was.
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3 0
Cradical
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.4 years 110 played 63 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 10, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course has really good design and aside from a few holes, had really good flow. My group found all the holes quite easily, although we could not find the tees for a few of them.
There was really really good use of the natural elevation change. I have played very few courses that were as hilly as this one.
If you like courses that have defined fairways, then this course is for you. All the holes have nice fairways mowed into them, though if you miss the fairway, you'll be in some thick stuff.
You will actually get punished for a bad shot, not just slapped on the wrist.

Cons:

There seemed to be a lot more rhbh holes than right hand forehand. That is to say, there are quite a few holes that finish left, and a few that finish hard left.
There is some really thick brush on some of the fairways, so finding discs can be a problem.
Navigation was said to be an issue, though the only real problem I found was finding hole 3's tee, which is a long walk from hole 2. Also hole 4's tee didn't seem to exist.

Other Thoughts:

If you are in the area, make sure to play this course. Every hole is unique and they all are challenging. I only wish I didn't live so far away. With a little upkeep and some new signs or tees, this course would be amazing.
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4 1
Gustav
Experience: 30.4 years 1 played 1 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Jackson Community College Course? 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 29, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Seems like it has POTENTIAL to be great. That is the only "pro" I can give this course. Great terrain and really like how elevations, trees, and rough come into play. Only positive thing I can say. Now on to the negatives...

Cons:

The biggest problem with this course is navigation. It was almost impossible to find where tee pads are located, and where the actual hole is. The directions listed on this site are WRONG. I found the the first hole behind the Field Building, no mention on campus at all about a student activity center that the directions talk about. For as long as this course has been around, you would think the college or locals would care enough to post some sort of sign showing where next tee is located. Poured tee pads would be swell (I am offering free labor for it) and some sort of course guide. I understand that this may seem like few cons to deem such a low rating, but there are NO SIGNS or GUIDES and it is extremely easy to get lost. Hours of frustration trying to find holes almost guaranteed.

Other Thoughts:

The course is tight (from the few holes I was able to find - had to guess about where I was teeing off from) which I really like, but there is definitely a possibility of losing discs. This course has the potential to be great. If anyone knows any locals or people in charge of this course, I would love to offer my services to help make this course better as it is the only course in Jackson. All it needs are signs that designate where next tee is located and maybe a sign to mark the tee pad. This course may have had markers in the past, but the time I put into finding tee pads (maybe I found them, too many random dirt spots on grass) and baskets was not worth the effort to play this course. Until further improvements are done to this course, my recommendation to players is stay away at all costs, unless you know a local or have hours to spend navigating your way through this course. I personally had no bug trouble, but that could easily change during summer. Please fix this course, it could be a gem.
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4 0
bygwyllay
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.5 years 93 played 78 reviews
2.50 star(s)

DNF 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 20, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

First off let me say that I really like this course. Really. It has the balls that so many southeastern MI courses lack. There's great use of elevation, and a fantastic mix of open fields and tight wooded holes. The entire course has a down-the-rabbit-hole feel to it, as hole 1 calls you away from campus life and into the golden fields. The holes are well-designed and are challenging without being daunting. Prepare for a hike! I would LOVE to give this course 4 or maybe 4.5 stars if it weren't for the cons I'm about to list. :SIGH:

Cons:

Where the F**K is the signage? Have you seen the map that's posted on here? You can't read it. I felt like I was heading out on the Oregon Trail without a guide. Surprised I didn't die of dysentary. There are absolutely no "next tee" signs, and so many forks in the road that I doubled back about a half-dozen times. Holes I played were 1, 2, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, and 16, and this took me an hour and a half. I could not find 3-7 and had to leave before the last two. I think they must be on the other side of the south road on the campus.

While the hole layout is great, the course layout is horrible. No signs would be fine except you double-back more than a few times while playing. The holes themselves are marked with stone tablets, but all of them are faded and some of the are broken. Dirt tee pads don't help either, as you can't tell if it's a tee or just a bald spot in the grass. The chainstars are marked with hole numbers but I got a little tired walking up to each one to see where I was.

Bugs weren't as bad as previous reviewers stated, but some spray is probably recommended during the summer months. The rough (especially on the back nine) is f**kin ROUGH. I lost a disc that was bright pink. PINK I TELL YOU! IN BROAD DAYLIGHT.

Other Thoughts:

Man, if this course was better maintained I would play at every opportunity. The scenery is gorgeous (especially under the water tower) and it's a shame it's not better maintained. Some concrete tees and some signage throughout (maybe a slight course redesign?) would make this an absolute jewel. It pains me to give this course 2.5 stars, but it is what it is. (i originally had two stars, but to be fair to the rest of my reviews, I had to bump it up.)
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1 3
Blackknight
Experience: 4 played 1 reviews
2.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 19, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Challenging course that's not too busy.

Cons:

Navigating the course is difficult, poorly marked tees and there are a few spots where you can easily end up going the wrong way.

Course is not well maintained, the rough is very thick.

Other Thoughts:

Hole #1 is behind the new dorms, the back 9 starts at the corner of the tennis courts like mentioned before.
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2 0
NEWBY1151
Experience: 20.4 years 100 played 39 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 20, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Good mix of open and wooded holes,several long holes really let you air it out,a few holes have some decent elevation changes,Discraft baskets,

Cons:

Natural tee pads,hard to navigate between several holes and to find hole#1 if the school is not open,if open secretary at front desk was helpful,not well maintained,lots of bugs,Thick rough on many holes make it easy to loose a disc,

Other Thoughts:

To get to hole #1 from front entrance take first left and then a right into large parking lot follow to opposite side and park by McDevitt building, walk past water fountain turn left hole #1 is on right,#10 starts next to tennis courts,holes marked with rock signs
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4 1
captconnels
Experience: 19.6 years 25 played 1 reviews
1.50 star(s)

A Shame. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 16, 2007 Played the course:never

Pros:

I used to like this course, with holes ranging from easily birdied to quite challenging. Some heavily wooded holes and some wide open fields. Gotta love the scenery on the water tower hole.

Cons:

This course has not been taken care of. My first time playing it at the end of `05 it was beautiful. Well groomed and everything. The college has taken no interest in keeping this course in tact. In fact, they actually started construction on a new dorm where the fairways for the 2nd/3rd holes used to be, so don't plan on playing 18, you might be lucky to get 15 in. Oh yeah, and I totally agree with the bug spray/tick/bee comment also. Hope this was helpful.
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3 1
Portablewalrus
Experience: 23.4 years 15 played 8 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Watch out for ticks and bushes 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 1, 2007 Played the course:never

Pros:

JCC is a Medium size layout with Lots of variation. There is some woods, but most holes are open with thick weeds and brush in the O.B.. Holes 1 through 9 are longer with one short hard left dog leg hole.The back 9 is shorter but technically well laid out.

Cons:

There are no alternative tees, and some of the noted pars and distances are questionable. It is Difficult to navigate( poorly marked, with some tees not marked at all). Bring insect repellent and watch out for ticks and bees!
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