Good use of land, especially on the eastern half of the treeline. Elevation is used to its fullest, a rarity for this area of Michigan. Nice signage for the most part (see uploaded photos), including the main map, which makes the start of the course easy to spot. Benches and trash cans sprinkled throughout. Navigation is a breeze, even without a map. Baskets are brand new. Pretty nice lines on about a third of the holes (2,3,4,13,14,16,17). I enjoyed the ravine that both begins and ends your round. The pond on 14 is a nice touch, but not a menace. Some good pin placements make you think about rollaways. Neat ace run on #11.

Dirt tees that are very uneven. I had a hard time staying even-keeled throughout my throwing motion. Holes 7-12 are wide open, zig-zagging back and forth across flat former farmland; easy drives with no obstructions at all. No cover from the sun in general, but especially during this stretch. Almost desert-like conditions. Signpost completely missing from 16, which seemed odd for a course that's less than a year old. Not very challenging overall. Every hole is parable, and most are birdieable.

What You See Is What You Get

This course is off the beaten path on some old farmland. This sentence is pretty much all you need to know about Marion Twp DGC. There are some nice touches and it is obvious that the designer squeezed everything they could out of the landscape, which is why I'm going to elevate this course to a 2.5/5. While not a course for the avid player, Marion offers more than enough for the casual thrower.

Quiet course in a semi-rural area, set on what used to be farmland. Nice mix of moderate elevation changes and flat holes. Big arms not required. Quite appropriate and welcoming for beginners; still fun for intermediate players.

Moderately open to wide open holes provide a nice change of pace from the stereotypical Michigan DG course (i.e. heavily wooded and/or lots of disc swallowing brush that demands good control and constant vigilance). Most holes allow you to try several different lines/and or shot types with little to no penalty.

BEAUTIFUL, easy to spot, full-color tee markers not only display distance and hole-layout, but also show where the next hole is. Couse layout flows pretty well, but throw in the full-color course map printed on the back of the score card (w/complimentary pencil) and navigation is foolproof.

Hole 14 plays over a nice size pond to ramp up the thrill without being too intimidating. It may only take 170' or so to carry the water, but the risk/reward factor is definitely present - a worm-burner here is sure to cost you a disc.

• Risk of disc loss is relatively low.
• New Chainstar baskets with hole #.
• Porta-potty located near hole 16.
• Nicely painted benches provide a nice spot to rest your bones (or your bag) every few holes.

Challenge? Not so much. For players who can who can place it in the circle consistently from 225-275 ft, this is nothing more than a Birdie-Fest. Course record here is bound to be sub 40.

Somewhat (but not completely) lacking in shot variety; the first 6 or 7 holes favor some specific lines, but after that, it's pretty much go straight at the basket while a avoiding a smattering of trees. Can feel a bit pedestrian and repetitive.

I know they just put in in, and it might still need some finishing touches, but there were a few unsightly piles of chopped wood, branches, and other debris, scattered in a few spots.

WATCH OUT!!
1) Remnant of barbed wire fence crosses the fairway just inches off the ground as you start downhill near the basket of hole 6. I hope they remove this before something bad happens.
2) Nasty nettles to the left of hole 4's basket.

A genuine community effort: my gratitude to the corporate sponsors and private donors who helped this course become a reality, as well as to those who toiled and labored to put it in.

Serious discing - this ain't. The objective DG'er in me says, "It's not all that," but there's simply no denying, they got a lot of things right on this one. For a sleepy little course, they really went all out with full color signage, scorecards, benches, there's even a nice gazebo between holes 15 and 16.

Maybe it's the fact that virtually every hole is "aceable," and that this course will leave you feeling good about your game. Some will hate this course specifically for that reason, but with Hudson Mills nearby, and Independence Lake and Kensington within a 30 min drive, Marion Townhsip DGC fills void left vacant by those "4.0" courses: a beginner friendly 18 hole course, where experienced players can enjoy themselves, too. Playing here was really fun, and I'll be back...more than once. Features a 155' Ace Run that might have you emptying out your bag just for fun - we did!

The open layout of this course means wind can be a factor on the majority of holes. Wonderful course for learning how to deal with wind, without much shule in case something gets away from you. The only thick stuff I saw was to the left on hole 1 (not too bad), and to the left of the basket on hole 4 (nasty). Although it wasn't a particularly windy day (light breeze), there's nothing to impede the wind here: discing up/down, and/or adjusting your shot was a definite must for our round.

You don't need a "full bag" to do well here - you can get by just fine with 3 discs: a putter, a stable to overstable mid and a stable to overstable fairway driver.