Victory Park reviews
12
0
Fairly Unique Course With Pros and Cons 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Sep 7, 2020
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
Victory Park is an interesting course. 40-odd courses played around the state and I can say I've still not run into one with its design philosophy. It's certainly its own entity that toes the line between challenging expectations and an acquired taste.
The front 9 is a fairly standard series of nice park holes. Tall trees generously scattered around a modest hill with a grassy, debris free floor. It's attractive - every person I've brought here so far has mentioned how visually pleasing the park is.
The front 9 holes are fun, almost frustration-free to be honest. They aren't the simplest in the world - they tend to run on the longer side of 300' and you need to navigate many trees. The spacing is generous, however, and many different lines are perfectly viable. If you miss the gaps and kick off a tree, it is very unlikely that you'll be punished with an untenable shot. You simply adjust and pick a new line and try again. There's no brush or brambles to punish you. I would think that a beginner could spend their time running the front 9 over and over to get a feel for shaping shots and airing out controlled distance.
The back 9 becomes a new entity, like gremlins exposed to water. The difficulty ratchets up from a stress-free exercise in gentle shot shaping to a demanding precision landings lest you lose a disc in the water. I believe no less than 5 of the back 9 have water very, very much in play. And not in the avoidable "I'll just throw a few short layups to get past it" sort of in play either. Rather, it's the "my mission in life is to make you go swimming" type of layout. To say these holes have character is quite the understatement.
They are beautiful holes though, and quite achievable. While there are some stagnant pools of typical disc golf run-off reservoirs, several of the hazards cut across and around the Kalamazoo River. They are certainly memorable.
One exceptionally long hole is present - #12 I think. I believe this is the longest hole I've thrown to date, clocking in somewhere around 800-900' or so. When I first played here very early in my disc golf career, I don't think we ever found the basket to this hole - I seem to remember tucking our tails between our legs, finishing 17 and 18, and then going home. We did that because we simply couldn't comprehend having to scout so far ahead to find the basket. We'd thought it had been pulled!
Cement pads of good size are present. Their number is spray-painted in the corner, which is crude but effective. An arrow on the pad will sometimes point you in the direction of the basket. That actually comes in handy on a few holes. Generally the baskets are visible (at least partially) from the tee but they can be hard to spot at a distance.
Modern bathrooms available, though they give off a bit of a prison shower vibe.
The front 9 is a fairly standard series of nice park holes. Tall trees generously scattered around a modest hill with a grassy, debris free floor. It's attractive - every person I've brought here so far has mentioned how visually pleasing the park is.
The front 9 holes are fun, almost frustration-free to be honest. They aren't the simplest in the world - they tend to run on the longer side of 300' and you need to navigate many trees. The spacing is generous, however, and many different lines are perfectly viable. If you miss the gaps and kick off a tree, it is very unlikely that you'll be punished with an untenable shot. You simply adjust and pick a new line and try again. There's no brush or brambles to punish you. I would think that a beginner could spend their time running the front 9 over and over to get a feel for shaping shots and airing out controlled distance.
The back 9 becomes a new entity, like gremlins exposed to water. The difficulty ratchets up from a stress-free exercise in gentle shot shaping to a demanding precision landings lest you lose a disc in the water. I believe no less than 5 of the back 9 have water very, very much in play. And not in the avoidable "I'll just throw a few short layups to get past it" sort of in play either. Rather, it's the "my mission in life is to make you go swimming" type of layout. To say these holes have character is quite the understatement.
They are beautiful holes though, and quite achievable. While there are some stagnant pools of typical disc golf run-off reservoirs, several of the hazards cut across and around the Kalamazoo River. They are certainly memorable.
One exceptionally long hole is present - #12 I think. I believe this is the longest hole I've thrown to date, clocking in somewhere around 800-900' or so. When I first played here very early in my disc golf career, I don't think we ever found the basket to this hole - I seem to remember tucking our tails between our legs, finishing 17 and 18, and then going home. We did that because we simply couldn't comprehend having to scout so far ahead to find the basket. We'd thought it had been pulled!
Cement pads of good size are present. Their number is spray-painted in the corner, which is crude but effective. An arrow on the pad will sometimes point you in the direction of the basket. That actually comes in handy on a few holes. Generally the baskets are visible (at least partially) from the tee but they can be hard to spot at a distance.
Modern bathrooms available, though they give off a bit of a prison shower vibe.
Cons:
Parking is...not great. There's not a ton of it and it seems to be relegated to lining the disc golf fairways. We've had to politely ask people hanging out in their car to please move due to the very, very real possibility of an errant shot hitting them.
Several holes run adjacent to roads. We had several shots go across or into them in fact. They don't appear to be terribly busy, but traffic was certainly existent so they are not unused. I'm never a fan when poor throws can hit things it's not ok to hit. I understand space limitations are what they are, but there's always a rating loss involved.
No tee signs, which is always a bummer. Not much in the way of trash or benches at the tees either, though you can find those wandering a bit into the park.
Speaking of wandering a bit into the park, I would hesitate to call the course a "dedicated disc golf area". Problems with roads and parking coming into play aside, hole 17 literally has picnic tables in the fairway and runs very close to the amphitheater. We watched a young couple scurry away from one such table after noticing another group throwing their discs at them (ok, in their general direction, but still). Not a good look. The river are also frequently has walkers, fisherman, metal detectorists (I'm positive that's a word....ok, maybe not, but I'm using it), and other people enjoying the area.
Hole 12 is a bit silly and strains the flow of the course. The sensible place to put the basket would have been a bit past the water hazard. It looks like at one point it was a swimming area but I doubt it has been used as such for years/decades. Throwing another 200-300 feet past it to get to the basket only to have to walk 600 feet back to get to the next tee pad seems a bit unnecessary.
Hole 12 also abuts next to a private residence. The neighbors there are very good natured - I know because we threw a disc into their yard and they were extremely chill and kind about returning it. They mentioned it happens all the time and that every year they end up selling a stack of discs at their garage sale from what they find in their yard. It's like they have their own disc faerie folk leaving them presents from time to time. Other experiences with the residents of a different house on a different hole were not so pleasant, but no reason to air bad gas out other than to note that your disc retrieval efforts may be met with mixed reactions.
Massive alien-pod sized hornet nest on 12. Not sure if it was active or not but it was bigger than a basketball and low to the ground - you could walk into it and smack your forehead if you're the oblivious sort.
Several holes run adjacent to roads. We had several shots go across or into them in fact. They don't appear to be terribly busy, but traffic was certainly existent so they are not unused. I'm never a fan when poor throws can hit things it's not ok to hit. I understand space limitations are what they are, but there's always a rating loss involved.
No tee signs, which is always a bummer. Not much in the way of trash or benches at the tees either, though you can find those wandering a bit into the park.
Speaking of wandering a bit into the park, I would hesitate to call the course a "dedicated disc golf area". Problems with roads and parking coming into play aside, hole 17 literally has picnic tables in the fairway and runs very close to the amphitheater. We watched a young couple scurry away from one such table after noticing another group throwing their discs at them (ok, in their general direction, but still). Not a good look. The river are also frequently has walkers, fisherman, metal detectorists (I'm positive that's a word....ok, maybe not, but I'm using it), and other people enjoying the area.
Hole 12 is a bit silly and strains the flow of the course. The sensible place to put the basket would have been a bit past the water hazard. It looks like at one point it was a swimming area but I doubt it has been used as such for years/decades. Throwing another 200-300 feet past it to get to the basket only to have to walk 600 feet back to get to the next tee pad seems a bit unnecessary.
Hole 12 also abuts next to a private residence. The neighbors there are very good natured - I know because we threw a disc into their yard and they were extremely chill and kind about returning it. They mentioned it happens all the time and that every year they end up selling a stack of discs at their garage sale from what they find in their yard. It's like they have their own disc faerie folk leaving them presents from time to time. Other experiences with the residents of a different house on a different hole were not so pleasant, but no reason to air bad gas out other than to note that your disc retrieval efforts may be met with mixed reactions.
Massive alien-pod sized hornet nest on 12. Not sure if it was active or not but it was bigger than a basketball and low to the ground - you could walk into it and smack your forehead if you're the oblivious sort.
Other Thoughts:
I think the back 9 holes are a bit misunderstood when compared to the front 9. Are the back 9 difficult? Yes. Are they intimidating? Yes. Are they unfair? I don't think so.
Hole 10 plays with a small stream in front of the basket and a good sized hillock behind. I suppose you could really air out your drive, overshoot, and throw it in the water but it seems unlikely. If you are unlucky and hit the 3' wide stream retrieval is an easy process - I haven't seen discs start running away with the current.
Hole 11 is probably the most difficult of the course, but is also a risk/reward scenario. You can toss to the island in the middle, throw up the right hand side of the river for a shorter crossing to the basket, or try and land a shot on a 40' strip of land between two bodies of water. Let me tell you, you feel righteous when you make that water carry for a bird. Additionally, if you end up short, the discs are fairly retrievable if you have somebody willing to wade. The water is clear and the discs seem like they sit pretty well as long as you don't end up near the waterfall - even then they tend to catch on rocks on the way downriver. Shooting long into the stagnant pond past the basket is a problem, but it's also at a higher elevation so you won't be rolling into it - again, you need to bust out a pretty healthy overshoot to have that problem.
Hole 12 is the most intimidating hole I've ever seen. It really is a 6' fairway with nasty water directly to the left and more retrievable water maybe 20' to the right (a line of trees and change in elevation separate the "fairway" from the water). Who in god's green earth can land that? Good news, you don't have to! The basket is 240' up and if you clear that water, it's all field and grass behind it to the left. If you can throw that far, it doesn't matter where you land - you're safe. It's not as demanding as it may initially imply.
Hole 13 is the most likely to need layup shots due to the somewhat narrow fairway between the water and the neighboring houses. Not too bad to play safely, but you can also air it out over the water if you're confident in it coming back.
Hole 14 plays snug with the river on the left, but I think the water is all of 6" deep and crystal clear here so you really have to be a quitter to lose your disc.
15 is another intimidating one...but it should not be. It's a short carry over the river for what is essentially an ace run. 120' of openish fairway (there is a tree that provides a ceiling) is not the most demanding hole out there. It's not even the most demanding hold on the course. Unfortunately, the water in this small section of the river is quite deep - unless you land it near the edge your disc is likely to disappear between the depth and the current, at least for a little ways. I strongly suspect they get caught up on rocks a little bit downriver (like 30 feet or so - not far). I'm sure there are some local divers who find a lot there and have figured out what the catch points are.
I guess my point is, it is a very difficult set of holes for a beginner. Lord knows we sacrificed plastic to it when we started. I actually refuse to play the course unless I bring some trash discs just for the water shots just based on prior experiences. Thing is, for an intermediate player they're more intimidating than they are impossible. Sure, you may not bird it if you go safe, but taking some risks does add some spice to the game.
Albion is a fun course to play, and it has that unique "character" attribute that makes it a special course that is worth going out of your way to visit. I hesitate to call it a "destination" course, but it would certainly be worth a stop on a road trip.
I would come prepared with somebody who's dressed to go in the water and/or bring some sacrificial disks.
I would note that the chances of losing a disc would be MUCH higher during a rainy period or after the snow melt and the river is high and moving fast. In late summer my group put 7 in total and got all 7 back through wading and retrievers.
Hole 10 plays with a small stream in front of the basket and a good sized hillock behind. I suppose you could really air out your drive, overshoot, and throw it in the water but it seems unlikely. If you are unlucky and hit the 3' wide stream retrieval is an easy process - I haven't seen discs start running away with the current.
Hole 11 is probably the most difficult of the course, but is also a risk/reward scenario. You can toss to the island in the middle, throw up the right hand side of the river for a shorter crossing to the basket, or try and land a shot on a 40' strip of land between two bodies of water. Let me tell you, you feel righteous when you make that water carry for a bird. Additionally, if you end up short, the discs are fairly retrievable if you have somebody willing to wade. The water is clear and the discs seem like they sit pretty well as long as you don't end up near the waterfall - even then they tend to catch on rocks on the way downriver. Shooting long into the stagnant pond past the basket is a problem, but it's also at a higher elevation so you won't be rolling into it - again, you need to bust out a pretty healthy overshoot to have that problem.
Hole 12 is the most intimidating hole I've ever seen. It really is a 6' fairway with nasty water directly to the left and more retrievable water maybe 20' to the right (a line of trees and change in elevation separate the "fairway" from the water). Who in god's green earth can land that? Good news, you don't have to! The basket is 240' up and if you clear that water, it's all field and grass behind it to the left. If you can throw that far, it doesn't matter where you land - you're safe. It's not as demanding as it may initially imply.
Hole 13 is the most likely to need layup shots due to the somewhat narrow fairway between the water and the neighboring houses. Not too bad to play safely, but you can also air it out over the water if you're confident in it coming back.
Hole 14 plays snug with the river on the left, but I think the water is all of 6" deep and crystal clear here so you really have to be a quitter to lose your disc.
15 is another intimidating one...but it should not be. It's a short carry over the river for what is essentially an ace run. 120' of openish fairway (there is a tree that provides a ceiling) is not the most demanding hole out there. It's not even the most demanding hold on the course. Unfortunately, the water in this small section of the river is quite deep - unless you land it near the edge your disc is likely to disappear between the depth and the current, at least for a little ways. I strongly suspect they get caught up on rocks a little bit downriver (like 30 feet or so - not far). I'm sure there are some local divers who find a lot there and have figured out what the catch points are.
I guess my point is, it is a very difficult set of holes for a beginner. Lord knows we sacrificed plastic to it when we started. I actually refuse to play the course unless I bring some trash discs just for the water shots just based on prior experiences. Thing is, for an intermediate player they're more intimidating than they are impossible. Sure, you may not bird it if you go safe, but taking some risks does add some spice to the game.
Albion is a fun course to play, and it has that unique "character" attribute that makes it a special course that is worth going out of your way to visit. I hesitate to call it a "destination" course, but it would certainly be worth a stop on a road trip.
I would come prepared with somebody who's dressed to go in the water and/or bring some sacrificial disks.
I would note that the chances of losing a disc would be MUCH higher during a rainy period or after the snow melt and the river is high and moving fast. In late summer my group put 7 in total and got all 7 back through wading and retrievers.
3
3
NinaFoFiTre
Experience:
30.8 years
292 played
7 reviews
Please get some tee signs 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Jul 17, 2015
Played the course:once
Pros:
Great layout, very fun, very scenic for a park course
#14 is one of the best looking holes in the country with the two creeks, stone walls and the small green. Cool bridge, one of the greatest 225ct holes in the country.
#14 is one of the best looking holes in the country with the two creeks, stone walls and the small green. Cool bridge, one of the greatest 225ct holes in the country.
Cons:
No tee signs.... Ugh, very frustrating looking for teenagers. At least paint one of the arms of the basket to point to the next hole.
The arrows on the tee pads to point to the hole are slightly know when wet, annoying.
A few holes play over Park roads which could be hazardous during busy Park hours
The arrows on the tee pads to point to the hole are slightly know when wet, annoying.
A few holes play over Park roads which could be hazardous during busy Park hours
Other Thoughts:
I thoroughly enjoyed this course, except for it lacking the tee signs.... Once I figured out where to go each of the holes were great and fun to play. Mosquitos were bad and had some standing water after a few rainy days. Gorgeous waterfall on 10
2
0
elrumpo
Experience:
13 years
12 played
12 reviews
Fun Course, nice park 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Jun 22, 2012
Played the course:once
Pros:
- First 9 holes, and the last few are wide open and fun to throw hard if you want
- Good variety in the middle part of the course with some water hazards and tricky holes
- the park that this course is in has an awesome climber toy for the kids, a small swimming area and lots of other things (tennis, b-ball, hockey etc)
- When we were there, the park was empty on a weekday and we never had to wait for anyone(golfer or otherwise)
- The course is pretty easy to navigate, though take a picture of the course so you can save some time
- Awesome water holes, and a 1000 footer to boot!
- Good variety in the middle part of the course with some water hazards and tricky holes
- the park that this course is in has an awesome climber toy for the kids, a small swimming area and lots of other things (tennis, b-ball, hockey etc)
- When we were there, the park was empty on a weekday and we never had to wait for anyone(golfer or otherwise)
- The course is pretty easy to navigate, though take a picture of the course so you can save some time
- Awesome water holes, and a 1000 footer to boot!
Cons:
- Holy water hazard Batman!! The 4 or 5 holes in the middle of the course play over some wicked water. Rivers, lakes, ponds and more!
- I could see that on the weekends some of the holes play over areas with people in them for the park...so this could be an issue when it's busy
- No signs...if not for this, I would give 4 stars
- Some of the open holes get a little tedious just because they are plentiful...but they are mostly fun in their own way so not a big negative.
- I could see that on the weekends some of the holes play over areas with people in them for the park...so this could be an issue when it's busy
- No signs...if not for this, I would give 4 stars
- Some of the open holes get a little tedious just because they are plentiful...but they are mostly fun in their own way so not a big negative.
Other Thoughts:
They did a great job of cramming 18 holes into this course. And one of the holes is almost 1000 feet! Over a lake!!! 
The water holes are tough but soooo worth playing. Most of the water is not too deep. If you're willing to get your feet and legs a bit wet you can save your disc and even find an extra if you're lucky!
I highly recommend checking this course out if you are in the area. Great time, no real chance of losing a disc unless you're careless in the water.
The water holes are tough but soooo worth playing. Most of the water is not too deep. If you're willing to get your feet and legs a bit wet you can save your disc and even find an extra if you're lucky!
I highly recommend checking this course out if you are in the area. Great time, no real chance of losing a disc unless you're careless in the water.
2
1
m1morri1
Experience:
18.1 years
75 played
10 reviews
Nice Park 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Aug 3, 2010
Played the course:once
Pros:
A lot of water holes which provides a good challenge. A good mix of long and short holes.
Cons:
Only a couple holes with elevation change.
Other Thoughts:
I really enjoyed hole 10. You can either lay up and shoot for par or try to go the distance and birdie. If you try for birdie, you have to launch it over two sections of the Kalamazoo River. Well, I tried that and it landed a couple feet shy of land. Fortunately I was able to get my disc out of the river.
5
1
nice park 2+ years
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Aug 23, 2009
Played the course:once
Pros:
Nice distance course.
Good use of natural obstacles.
Placement of first disc is very important - most of the holes cannot be achieved from the tee. You need to make critical decisions as to what disc to throw and where to place it, in order to solidify a second shot for par.
Gorgeous water hazards throughout the back nine.
Good use of natural obstacles.
Placement of first disc is very important - most of the holes cannot be achieved from the tee. You need to make critical decisions as to what disc to throw and where to place it, in order to solidify a second shot for par.
Gorgeous water hazards throughout the back nine.
Cons:
You will need a map.
The front nine is somewhat monotonous. Random trees.
If you value every single disc in your bag, be prepared to take your shoes off and wade for a moment.
The front nine is somewhat monotonous. Random trees.
If you value every single disc in your bag, be prepared to take your shoes off and wade for a moment.
Other Thoughts:
I traveled to Michigan and played 7 courses in a three day span. Of all of them, Victory Park had the most beautiful signature hole. It is a 327 ft. drive directly over a river. If you can't make the drive, you lose your disc. Obviously, some folks don't like this...but I found it exhilarating. I love to feel anxious before a throw - like this throw really matters. To me, that is disc golf! The several "water holes" at this course made the entire course worth playing. Without them, it would just be another typical public park course.
Also, print a course map. Seriously. As long as you have it, the difficulties with the layout will diminish. I had no problem finding the next pad and basket with the map. I found it through the PDGA website links.
Also, print a course map. Seriously. As long as you have it, the difficulties with the layout will diminish. I had no problem finding the next pad and basket with the map. I found it through the PDGA website links.
2
2
discgolf13
Experience:
20.8 years
32 played
2 reviews
Great course 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Aug 6, 2009
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
Good variety of shots, some elevation change, water hazzards on #9,10,11,12,13,14.. Flush toilets. Nice playground for the little ones. Pavillion and grills for lunch.
Cons:
Soccer field can come into play on holes #9 and 14. Field is ALWAYS soggy as can be.
Other Thoughts:
If you throw into middle of pond on #12, kiss it goodbye...muck city! Sometimes dude in a kayak will retrieve disc for you. #14 definate ace possibility. Cascarelli's in downtown Albion has great pizza and Bell's on tap.
