Cadillac, MI

Kenwood Heritage Park - Park Side

3.15(based on 21 reviews)
Filter course reviews

Filter reviews

Filter reviews

Kenwood Heritage Park - Park Side reviews

Filter
8 0
DFrah
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 6.4 years 300 played 287 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Decent walk in the woods

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 31, 2024 Played the course:once

Pros:

Kenwood Heritage Park is on the west side of Cadillac, MI. A road divides the park into two sections. The side on Lake Cadillac has the 9-hole Beachside course, and the other side has this 24-hole Parkside course. The course is signed as a "main" 18-hole layout, with an optional detour after hole 6 to play the "R" holes 7R-12R before hole 7.

The 24 holes here are almost all tightly wooded. There are a decent mix of fairway shapes. The distances max out at about 300', but the tight lines make up for this to an extent. Beginners and rec players will be hitting plenty of trees here, but the rough is mostly pretty forgiving so it is a decent option for those players. It's also just a pleasant walk in the woods for any non-DGers you may have in tow.

The tee pads are concrete. They are smallish, but fine. The baskets are Chainstars. They are older, but fine. Some numbers on the baskets would be a nice touch - I think some holes had them previously, but they were faded.

Cons:

The course is basically flat other than some very gentle slopes on the first few holes, and it lacks any real standout throws. The variety is a bit lacking too, with all distances basically between 200' and 300' and almost all holes tightly wooded.

All of the tees have a wood post with the top painted yellow and a black hole number painted on. The tee signs, when present, are just wooden boards nailed to the posts with a distance and par routered in. The board portion was missing for all of the "R" holes and several other holes on the main 18.

Speaking of those "R" holes, they basically just play along a walking path in the woods. These six extra holes are arguably too tight, and don't add much to the course. #11R in particular has a line that I would call very tough for a disc to follow. I would guess that most locals skip all six of these holes. Someone wrote "7R-12R made me frown" on one of the tee posts and I have to agree! Even in the main 18, a couple of holes seemed borderline too tight.

There aren't any navigational aids. The course mostly flows pretty well and it is easy to play or skip the "R" holes, but I walked the wrong way on a couple of occasions. Some tape in basket rungs would be a good start.

This course is much safer than the Beachside course across the street, but I still didn't like how close a couple tee pads are to the previous basket. 1-2 and 17-18 stood out as examples of this.

No real kiosk, practice basket, or porta potty (although you could walk across the street to use the restroom on the beach side). There were a couple of trash cans and benches, but overall a bit light for a park course like this.

Other Thoughts:

This course is pretty bland. The main 18 is decent, but the lack of polish combined with the lack of anything memorable leaves me with an overall "meh" feeling. For baggers, this one and Beachside are at least an opportunity to cross off two courses/33 holes relatively quickly - and without moving your vehicle. For me, even though I travel through the Cadillac area several times a year I don't see myself stopping here again.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 1
CadillacMike
Experience: 42.4 years 7 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Gateway to northern Michigan Disc Golf 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 22, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Easy access to course. Parking lot across from the beach Park and family-friendly. The addition of the back six has elevated this course and provides the additional challenge that some need. For those getting started, the original 18 can offer a chance to hone skills. As noted in other reviews, tight tree-lined lanes can add that difficult rating some seek. Beautiful walk in the northern Michigan forest. Disclaimer: I consider this one of my home courses.

Cons:

As some have noted, could use some more challenging distances. Room for improvement with signage also. This can support first-timers.

Other Thoughts:

As of 2017 efforts to clean up this course could increase the rating here.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 0
MigglePops
Experience: 19.5 years 11 played 2 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Leave your drivers in the car 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 1, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good course for working on technical approach shots. Well marked, practically no need for a map. Pretty great aesthetic in a beautiful forrest. Some interesting elevation changes, but nothing crazy.

Cons:

The bad news: Most of the holes are very tight shots, entirely lined with trees and with many other trees in the "fairway." The worse news: The rest are basically a wall of trees with no real fairway. Nothing over 300 ft.

Other Thoughts:

I had a fun time playing this course many times with putters only, but it can also be a very frustrating course. Even good players will inevitably hit many trees in any given round here.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 1
reichmusic
Experience: 10.4 years 13 played 10 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Mosquito heaven 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 27, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

-concrete pads
-nice baskets
-pretty good signage

Cons:

-signage was good except for the added r holes when you get to 7.
If you just add a sign saying you add 6 holes if you play the r's it would ease all confusion.
- you need to make this course as if you've never been there and there isn't internet. Signage was okay except for this.
-most of the holes are the exact same- wooded- tunnel-low canopy shots, became boring.
-not enough a Variety, no open shots to air it out.
- design doesn't have any risk/reward, you could use a putter and make par here if you just play conservatively.
- some of the design incorporated hyzer shots, but if you hit the line perfectly, you still needed luck to get past a few random trees.

Mosquitos are very bad here, I went morning time around 8:30am.

Other Thoughts:

My main problem with this course was the lack of pride and maturity of the locals that use this course.

Every sign had a message that pot wasn't invited here, followed by someone else writing something obscene about a person , or graphic drawings of people, nudity, violence, etc. grow up people. I would have hated to have a family day out there and have my kids see trash like that..

Local club needs to take pride and have a can of spray paint and fix this. It's not hard. After a few times of removing this crap, the few bad apples will likely stop. Very disappointed with the community and lack of self control. This is the future of our country, scares the heck out of me,

Bring deet
And a bathing suit.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 0
bygwyllay
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.5 years 93 played 78 reviews
3.50 star(s)

If you play one course in Cadillac... 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 3, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

First and foremost, the scenery. From the second hole on, you are immersed in that up north feel and it doesn't let go until you're walking back to the parking lot.

Well marked throughout and a few neat amenities including cigarette butt disposals screwed into the tee posts.

Lines are well worn and there isn't much underbrush beneath the canopy for clean disc retrieval.

Most holes play in the 200-250 ft. range with a few blind pins, especially on the "R" holes. Challenging without being daunting. Your B game will be needed here.

Cons:

Mix of shots. There really isn't a signature hole on this course and there are long stretches of tunnel shot after tunnel shot which become very monotonous over time. I don't think there were any open drives to speak of. Hardly any elevation change at all either. Oh well.

Quite a few skeeters but after some DEET it was all good.

Navigation was good but there were a few places where we got turned around. Had we had a map I'm sure it would've been easy enough.

Other Thoughts:

The bonus "R" holes are much more difficult than the rest of the course, which I appreciated. It's nice to offer that to those that want the added challenge. I noticed all the locals skipped them, and the lines are not as broken in as the rest of them. Seemed like everyone was out for a leisurely round and why not? It is a vacation town after all.

A good not great course and the best one in the area. I would play again next time I'm up on Lake Mitchell.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 1
Duff-Dyed
Experience: 21 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

fun intro to dg in cadillac 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 17, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

it was easy to find and fun to play. made it easy for family members who never played, to enjoy it.

the cig tubes are gret and id love to see them here in detroit.

no litter! must be the great people of the north, i didnt see any trash on the course. just nice to see.

Cons:

the tee pads, much like diggins, need to be 30 to 40% longer... they are just too short. causes dangerous problems for people rolling off the front.

trees. some holes could use some grooming but i say that tongue in cheek.

what the heck is a 7 and 7r? its a 24 hole course... ill assume 7r was the missing 6 holes? could use some signage to depict that situation... its a tourist town... and im from out of town... how was i suposed to know?
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 0
apdrvya
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 14.5 years 354 played 299 reviews
3.00 star(s)

mids and putters (almost) exclusively... 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 25, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Aesthetic-- area used for dg is mostly dg exclusive. course does cross access roads a couple times (even playing down the roads at times) and comes near to some more public areas.

Baskets-- discrafts, in great repair and somewhat visible in dense woods.

Teesigns-- they are there but they should/could be more descriptive as to where the baskets are. It seems that scouting about half the holes may be necessary.

Routing/Nav-- Easy. follow the paths and you'll be fine. I was impressed that the transition from the regular 18 to the alt 6 was as easy as it was. the pads for 7 and 7R were literally right next to each other. There was one longer walk between 13 and 14 but it was pretty easy to figure out.

Teepads- nice, a little short but the holes here are pretty short as well. clear enough, leave covered but that's to be expected.

12R-- Special mention to this hole. dual fairways make this one a special challenge. the right fairway is super tight while the left fairway is a little more open

Cons:

Variety & Risk v Reward-- there is a lot of repetition here, the challenge factor is pretty small with the short holes here. Water comes into play on one hole (7R I believe).

Shortness- this course is seriously short and technical but the basket placement could be improved to improve the challenge factor.

Parking- I wasn't sure where to park for this one, I parked across from the first tee between some traffic cones.

Other Thoughts:

I think this course was fun but it was just that fun. Nothing more. It wasn't challenging or exhilarating. the lack of elevation didn't help.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 5
markdh92
Experience: 4 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Kenwood DG Review 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 10, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Tight course, challenging tee shots due to narrow fairways. Concrete pads, posts with par/distance on them at the tee.

Cons:

Mosquitoes are ridiculous during the summer months. Some holes are hidden behind trees, tough to see.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 0
rsr2
Experience: 14.3 years 26 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

A Family Fun Course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 29, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

When we arrived at the course, the first thing we noticed was how close Hole 1 is to the parking lot. You literally get out of the car look behind you and it's right there.

The course was very clean when I went through. The other positive was the cigarette butt containers at every hole. I hate seeing a pile of cigarette butts so this was nice.

I find the course to be very scenic at some points. A couple of the holes have you finish near the road and you can see the beach and it looks really nice.

It is definitely a family friendly course which is great to get more people involved.

The Local help was really nice here as well. We caught up to a group and they told us about the course and which way to go because there are two hole #7. One is a reverse and they said if you have the time take that route. We even got lost trying to find a place and a local helped us get to our destination.

Cons:

The swampy muck at hole 2 can be pretty brutal if you don't get around it.

Most of the holes were literally walk up to the tee. Look straight ahead and there is the hole. There wasn't really much variation other than a couple holes where you go left or right.

Some of the signs are gone at the holes. You can see the nails there of where the sign was but most are gone.

All of the holes are <300' so there are no power shots needed and it added to the lack of variety.

One of the locals told me that it can get really busy at times so there is sometimes a wait. I didn't have this problem but it was a Thursday afternoon so it was to be expected.

Other Thoughts:

This course was a lot of fun! I took my dad out here and he is fairly new to Disc golfing and he absolutely loved this course. He learned a lot from playing it and he wants to play more which is a plus to me. I plan on making a few more trips out here if I can. I almost got 2 aces and I want to try and get my first on this course. I would highly recommend this course to anyone that is new and also break in a few discs with the wide variety of trees in the area.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 4
jmac79
Experience: 14.3 years 71 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 7, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

you will throw every thing you have open and tight holes. left right and tight.

Cons:

I know it is winter but almost all of the tee pads were covered in ice. farways were packed down by park trucks but are now a sheet of ice.

Other Thoughts:

a few more warm days and the ice should melt but untill bring some spikes
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 0
SAxDrc
Experience: 16.4 years 23 played 16 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 27, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

-I liked the "feel" of the course. woodsy with a beach visible on a few holes.
-nice signs with hole number, distance, and par
-tee pads were decent, not great but not a hinderance
-a ton of ace runs
-would be great for beginners
-navigation wasn't a problem
-the locals were nice, a couple large groups let us play through and a some guys gave my friend and I advice on the hole

Cons:

-very repetitive. every hole is under 300'. almost every hole is straight, and when there is a dogleg there is an optional straight shot as well. hole 6 is a dogleg left with an alley between some trees that is just straight. hole 11 is a dogleg right but again has the option to just throw straight through a narrow gap.
-lots of trash and graffiti
-it would be nice if the signs had a picture of the hole, but most baskets were easy enough to find
-tee pads were all different shapes and sizes. I'd rather a course have the same size pad on every hole so that I don't have to get used to new footing on every drive.
-no elevation change and no water hazards.

Other Thoughts:

bring bug spray. terrible mosquitos.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 0
DirtyWhiteBoy
Experience: 14.3 years 6 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Kenwood Heritage 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 2, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

+Concrete Tees
+Great Location
+Challenging Course due to the amount of trees
+Footage and Par marked Clearly on every hole

Cons:

-Some holes can be tricky to navigate if you've never played here before
-Little variation of hole design

Other Thoughts:

*DO NOT FORGET BUGSPRAY! The mosquitos were thick
*Great location
*I would like to see more variety in both hole design and length but over all a good/fun course

I played this course over the 4th of July weekend so the beach was crowded and I was unable to play "Lakeside" but "Parkside" was a lot of fun and quite easy to find, just follow the lake to the park.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 0
crusadersounds
Experience: 15.4 years 118 played 7 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Short toss, still challenging 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 17, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

* Clearly marked tee signs
* Distances marked on most holes
* Great Chainstar baskets

Cons:

* Couldn't see a lot of the baskets
* Lots of vulgar graffiti on the tee signs
* Baskets seemed to be a little lower than normal

Other Thoughts:

* Short course (almost all less than 250')
* Really tight fairways that were pretty crowded with trees
* Nice accessible location

I was travelling through Michigan and stopped at this park for lunch not even realizing that there was a course there! What a great surprise when we drove up and saw chainstars. In spite of the fact that I couldn't see a lot of the baskets and the fairways were pretty crowded with trees, I still managed to shoot just +1. Not a difficult course, but not an easy one either. If you're in the area, give it a shot.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
1 1
badmidget
Experience: 6 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Nice Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 24, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Concrete tee pads. Nice baskets. Lake view on some holes. Pretty clean park. Definite ace possibilities.

Cons:

some lanes were very tight. some holes had no apparent lane at all. Tee pads were not consistent size. Signs were poor. Much profane graffiti on sign posts.

Other Thoughts:

overall great course to play while enjoying Northern Michigan's great outdoors.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 0
BucketBonanza
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.4 years 47 played 30 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

This park features 18 original holes and 6 additional holes as well as a pole hole course on the other side of the street. The holes are quite short, as none eclipse the 300 foot mark, and largely straight forward through a serene forest route. The tees feature concrete pads and each hole is marked with a 4X4 post that clearly displays the hole number. Navigation is intuitive with little chance of misguided bumbling. The course was quite clean on this day, which allowed the splendor of the forest to dominate the scene. The land is largely flat here with only subtle variance in elevation in a few spots. Although moderately wooded, the holes provide fair play with definite defined lanes and landing areas as opposed to being a tree peppered crap shoot. Skill is allowed to trump luck.

Cons:

The short nature of these holes is the only potential drawback apart from the fact that the basket placements are generally easy and not overly challenging. Variety is a bit lacking. There are many straight down the pipe shots here that require little in the way of creative shot making. The alternate holes are quite wild at this time and could benefit from repeated play.

Other Thoughts:

This course is an ideal family course. It is a perfect setting for a beginner to learn the game as it is simple and forgiving. Experienced players can enjoy the charms of nature and have a great time working these holes. Solid ace runs and plentiful birdie opportunities ensure an enjoyable round with little potential for frustration. A nice little wander in the woods.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 1
fleeulrich
Experience: 16.3 years 53 played 29 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 22, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

All holes were marked very well with a wooden post that is painted yellow on top. Each post had the distance, hole #, and par on them. We had a map for the course, but we didn't need it at all, really easy to navigate. This course has mostly straight tree lined fairways. Many holes offer ace chances.

Cons:

Most of the holes were fairly short.

Other Thoughts:

This is a very fun course to play. You will have the option of playing anywhere from 9-24 holes. Swimming and picnic areas are available near by.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
6 0
LangWu99
Experience: 17.5 years 16 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

This being my local course I play it multiple times a week. This course allows you to get your fix but leaves you wanting more.

Great potential, tight fairways really keep you on your toes and help with precision practice. Ace and birdie opportunities make up for some bad luck you might encounter.

Cons:

The mosquito's get absolutely RIDICULOUS in the summer

Lack of variety with pin placement really takes away from what could be.

Heavy traffic no matter what day or time

Other Thoughts:

There is a front 9 by the beach with poleholes and then a serperate course across the road(back 18, now 24). The front 9 is a good warm up before your real round.

Though there is some lacking with variety there is still plenty of difficulty with all the trees and some great exciting moments when everything goes right.

This course is best in the spring when there is lighter traffic and less bugs

*UPDATE*
The 6 hole alternate has gotten a complete revamp after multiple complaints. They are still a bit rough and require more tree removal but it is a work in progress.

Its nice to know that our voices were heard.

Was this review helpful? Yes No
2 2
xrockfistx
Experience: 17.6 years 19 played 15 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fun Course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 28, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

It's a pretty simple course. The place was very clean and, the it was easy to follow. Some holes were pretty neat. Hole 2, you have to throw over a small pond, which is pretty cool.

Cons:

Not very much elvevation change or a variety of shots.

Other Thoughts:

Sign says 9 holes but, it lies. There's really 18.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
16 0
volklgirl
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.2 years 110 played 56 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Trees, trees everywhere! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Dec 12, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Break out your hyzers, anhyzers, and overhand shots because you'll need them to negotiate the trees on the fairways and in the roughs here. There are very few chances to go wide of the fairway cleanly due to heavily wooded areas through the entire course. The course is fairly well marked and not too confusing to negotiate, even in the fall. Concrete pads make tee-offs nice. Almost all baskets are hidden behind trees. A 9-hole pole course is available across the street as are a nice beach, a boat launch, concessions, and nice bathrooms, along with other activities for non-discers.

Watch for the giant swamp/puddle on #2 following wet periods during the spring and fall. Hole #11 is designed as a dogleg right but a "tunnel of trees" corridor has been cleared to allow an almost straight but very tight route to the basket. Straight down the right side of the woods with a left fade is also an option on this hole. Hole #6 has a similar shortcut through the woods to by-pass the dogleg left. Holes #16 and #17 offer excellent ace opportunities, especially with a Buzzz or Impact.

Cons:

Very little elevation change in effect here. Almost all challenge is the result of avoiding trees. Tee markers have no hole layout so finding the basket can be require pre-scouting at times. The tee markers also lack footage designations on a couple of holes. Trash can be a problem (being addressed with the city) as can heavy brush in the rough. No extra points awarded for hitting hikers, bikers, dogs, or cars on any of the many roads or trails that wind through the course!

Other Thoughts:

This course is in my back yard and I have been making an effort to keep the trash picked up during our daily rounds. I've also designed and printed score sheets and have been trying to keep them loaded in the box on the first tee, but bring your own pencil. This course can get pretty darned busy on the weekends and sometimes during the week, particularly on Thursdays due to a very active league. (Update 5/26/10 - leagues are now on Sunday nights)

Holes with missing tee signs have been wheeled off and corrected lengths have been Sharpied in and added to the score sheets.

I have also designed a course map; both that and the score sheets are now available on the "Links" tab.


***Update 7/7/09***
6 new holes have been added, starting from the #7 tee and working back around to the same tee. Currently, the fairways and rough are pretty wild, and there is no real signage, tee pads, or baskets, but navigation is simple and obvious and the pole holes are super visible since they're painted hunter orange.

Hopefully, the added holes will help spread out congestion on busy days. Again, the only real challenge here is just trying to avoid trees.

I have to admit that I was super disappointed in these holes given that they wiped out the coolest section of the mountain bike singletrack in order to add them. I didn't really see any of them as being anything particularly special or unique.

***Update 8/31/09***
Tee and goal posts have been moved on the alternate 6 yielding dramatically increased distance and difficulty. Buried 4x4s mark tee foul lines now. They're still pretty rough but are now vastly improved from their original layout. Still.....I get a little sick of trees, trees, and more trees after a while.
Was this review helpful? Yes No
3 0
NEWBY1151
Experience: 20.4 years 100 played 39 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Nice Wooded Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 10, 2008 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This is a challenging and fun wooded course,nice signs,nice park with beach across the street,easy to navigate,well designed through woods that you have a chance of making it through,course was a little busy when I was there but everyone was nice and several groups let me play through,hard to lose a disc for a wooded course,

Cons:

Several fairways are close to picnic areas and were being used as a parking lot when I was there,

Other Thoughts:

You can play 18 in about an hour or less,would play again if I was in the area
Was this review helpful? Yes No
Top