Pros:
You might think Knollwood Park is a run down craphole when you drive up to the gate and there is a sign that says the park is closed. Plus, I had been told by some of Michigan's disc golfers that the place is a dump with broken glass over over the place. I went to play it in the afternoon and the gate was locked with no cars parked there. I proceeded to drive all over the neighborhood trying to find another entrance. No luck. Later that evening, we drove back to that locked gate and there were lots of cars parked there. We talked to some golfers and they directed us to the first tee.
Immediately, we were pleasantly pleased with all aspects of the park and the course. The course has concrete pads and excellent tee signs . The Discatchers are old, ugly but catch well enough. Knollwood is an enjoyable but challenging recreation course. It's more technical than long. I think 12 holes are under 200' and all are cool Ace runs. There is a nice variety of Ace runs, hysers, annies, uphills, and downhills. The rough is thick in places and water comes into play on three or four holes.
The park that I thought was pretty dingy, was actually pretty clean and graffiti free. We didn't think the garbage was that noticeable. There were a lot of golfers out tonight. The course is popular.
The basket placement on # 11 is pretty interesting. It seems on a small peninsula surrounded by the brackish water. And we didn't notice a smell from this water. Wouldn't want to bathe in it, though. Hole 1 is a 280' hyser shot through the trees throwing from a fun, slightly elevated pad. It 's a nice hole to start off your round.
Cons:
There is quite a bit of erosion and hard packed areas in most of the park. Some retaining walls and walkways could here with this problem.
No holes to even bring out your drivers. Players can play this course with mids and your putter.
The water is pretty snarky looking. I didn't want to step into it. Might be some hidden monsters lurking in the murky depths.
I think the multitudes of WMU students playing and hanging out here don't help with the course's poor image. The neighborhood around the park, which all seems to WMU student housing, seems really shabby. I'd call it university ghetto.
Other Thoughts:
Duane (bogeynomore) and I both liked this course. We had a great time playing it. It's just a nice course to play on that Friday night. Because of the water hazards and some treacherous rough, there is some element of pressure here. Hopefully, the WMU students can cease and desist from using this park at their personal dumping ground.