I'm not quite sure where I was going with that title...

Whiskey Hills DGC is at Whiskey Creek Campground, which is located well off the beaten path about a half hour's drive southeast of Ludington, MI.

Put simply, this 24-hole round is an amazing experience. It doesn't look like much from the parking lot, but there are HILLS here. You will be throwing up, down, and across them on almost every hole. Once you get out of sight of your vehicle after hole 3, you will basically not see another flat hole for the rest of the course. The elevation and trees are used to create an amazing variety of holes, challenging you to hit all kinds of different shots if you want to score well. There aren't any wide open holes here, but none that are unfairly tight either. The lines are there to hit - can you hit them? A couple of baskets are raised for added challenge. Distances range from 191' to 485', with two par 4s that I will get to in a second. The average hole distance is just over 300'.

Generally speaking, the course is beautiful. The course stays in the woods for the most part, but there are plenty of nice views to be had along the rolling wooded hillsides. Several fairways have large rocks strewn about, and in some places smaller rocks are stacked vertically - perhaps an influence from Flip City about a half hour's drive south of here. At a couple of places the trees part and it is possible to see further away across the surrounding area, or out to two small nearby lakes.

There are tons of great holes here - it's difficult for me to pick highlights. Thinking about it four days later, I would say the most memorable holes for me were a stretch in the middle of the course from #11-13. Hole 11 plays down a significant slope but also curls sharply to the right. Several trees and large rocks prevent an easy path to the basket down in a gully. Hole 12 plays back up a different section of the same hill. This slope is STEEP! The hole is only listed at 272', but I was thankful it was a par 4 and felt fortunate to make par. The next hole #13 is the longest on the course, and another par 4. This one plays down a valley and up the other side, then continues along the top of a ridge to the basket. Both lakes I mentioned before are visible in the distance from the end of the ridge.

Hole 16 is also memorable, playing downhill out of a narrow gap in the woods to a raised basket with water behind the hole. The water is far enough behind that I don't really consider this a water hole, but maybe big arms could reach it if they really over-throw the basket.

There are a couple other memorable holes that deserve a mention too, but I want to keep this review at only a short thesis length.

The baskets are red, white, and blue Chainstars in great condition. They are easy to spot in the woods.

The navigational signage is decent - there are small but brightly painted arrows nailed to trees around most baskets pointing towards the next hole.

There is a kiosk next to the front door of the general store on one side of the parking lot, plus a box containing scorecards and course maps. Two practice baskets are located at the opposite side of the parking lot.

You could easily play holes 1-8 and 24 for a 9-hole round, although I'm not sure why you would do that if you took the time to drive all the way here.

The tee areas here could use an upgrade. A couple of the tee pads near the beginning of the course are huge arrays of perfectly flat patio pavers, which is very nice. But after that the quality falls off precipitously. All of the remaining tee pads are concrete, but they vary in size and condition. Many were cracked and/or too small to get a good run-up. It honestly looked like the designers tried to re-use scrap chunks of cement instead of investing in newly poured pads, and the results are a solid "meh." The tee signs are also just OK. I appreciated the artistic style of the signs, which show the hole number, distance (in a whiskey barrel), and the same illustration of two hills and three trees for each hole. I didn't appreciate the lack of par information and the small arrow which just indicated a rough line for the hole. With so many blind throws, I would like to see a better map for each hole. I teed off at the wrong angle a couple of times and played to an incorrect basket once, costing me extra strokes.

I noted a couple of minor safety concerns.
- The lightly-travelled road the campground is on could come into play on the first hole, and the campground entrance drive is in play on both holes 1 and 2. It would take an errant throw to reach either drive, but definitely possible.
- To return to your car after hole 24, you have to pass near hole 2's basket which is blind from the tee.

I don't recall seeing a bench on the course - and there were definitely times I found myself wanting one! A couple more trash cans would be nice too.

There appeared to be quite a few thorn bushes in the rough. Tread carefully!

With all of the hiking up and down hills, this course can be very tiring and will take some time to play. Bring plenty of water and plan on two hours minimum on site (for a solo round).

This course costs $5/day to play. You can pay cash at a drop box outside of the general store, or pay cash or card inside if it is open (it was not open when I visited on a Sunday afternoon in early May). I assume there is also a restroom inside the store.

There is spotty to no cell service here. Plan accordingly.

On a personal note, this was my 100th course played - and it was worthy of the milestone! This course is a must-play for those travelling to the area to visit Flip and the Ludington courses, or anyone who lives within a reasonable drive. I like this course more than Goliath and the new Leviathan layout, and it is at least on par with Beauty and Beast. Out of my 100 courses, this one reminded me more strongly of Flip than any other. It generally plays a little tighter than Flip but it has a similar feel between the elevation challenges, great hole design, beautiful secluded setting, and rocks stacked in the fairways.

To really pour on the compliments, the other course this one reminded me of a little bit is Wilderness Campground in Wisconsin. If the tee pads and signs were upgraded here and a second set was added along with a second set of baskets/pin positions, we could be talking about two pretty similar courses.

I think this one sits at about a 4.25 rating today, so I waffled between giving a 4.0 or 4.5 but ultimately decided to round up. With improved pads and signs, this is a clear 4.5. TL/DR: PLAY IT!!!

UPDATE JULY 2023: I finally returned to this one a couple of days ago. The rough is thick in the summer, although not terrible. Just watch where you are throwing. I had a very poor throw off of #22's tee (downhill, and my disc was never really on the fairway) and I had to look for 20-30 minutes to find it. This course could definitely use benches, and a couple more navigational arrows. However, my overall impression (and "weak" 4.5 rating) did not change. Having now tacked on 82 more courses to that 100, I stand by my statement that this course is more like Flip City than any other course I have played - and Flip happens to be only 30 minutes away. A morning at Flip and an afternoon here - or vice versa - would make for a very nice day playing disc golf in the western Michigan woods.

Whiskey Hills is set up in the woods around the Whiskey Creek campground. The public is welcome to play. $5 per person for the day is about standard for pay to play courses nowadays. Make sure to check in at the office/general store before starting. You can either pay them inside or there's a lockbox outside the front door to drop your payment in. Onto the golf.

The baskets are beautiful red,white and blue Chainstars. These are all mounted properly and level and catch very well. These things really pop in the shadows of the woods. Kind of shocking how you don't see this color combination more often. They look great. One pin position per hole.

The tee pads are strange here. Which kind of seems to be a recurring theme here in the Ludington area. A couple of the first few are phenomenal. Especially hole 1's. It's actually kind of excessive how large it is. It must be 15' by 15'. There's another much smaller version of this on hole 2 or 3. Then after that? It's back to the Mason County method. Mostly tiny lumps of concrete with some medium ones mixed in. It's better than natural for sure though. One tee per hole.

The signs are pretty basic. Just an arrow indicating the intended direction of the hole, hole # and distance. After playing Beast and Goliath the day prior, I really appreciated the arrow showing the direction of the pin. There are now plenty on next tee signs that help with navigating the course. I only had to check the Udisc map a couple times.

Now as for the actual design and course play. All I can really say is WOW!!! This course is criminally underrated on here. The elevation used throughout is masterfully designed. There is just about every shot shape imaginable off the tee. Hitting your lines is critical here. The rough isn't horrible but it's not kind to you either in most places. We had to search a few times for discs but nothing more than a couple minutes.

Hole 24 is a great top of the world finishing hole. But still entirely in the woods. Great way to finish your round. There's only two par 4's here, and they're back to back at that. Hole 12 is only 272' but is one of the most vertical inclines I've ever had to throw up. Oh yeah and it's a tunnel shot to start. A 4 on here is a great par. I don't think I could even get a 3. It plays more like 500 plus feet. Then after that they hit you with another cross valley, tight par 4. Another great one to get.

The property is absolutely gorgeous. It's quiet and very serene. I highly doubt it's ever real busy so you'll most likely have the place to yourself. Disc golf nirvana really. So many beautiful views of the lake and surrounding hillsides.

It's becoming a theme when I'm reviewing courses around here, but the tee pads (minus the first couple) and the tee signs are just lacking. Especially for the caliber of courses.

The bugs. I know, I know. It's the upper midwest, I get it. But make sure to bring bug spray. They're brutal. The worst part was the gnats. The bug spray doesn't do anything for them. There were literally swarms of them. Worst I've ever seen by far.

The elevation here is exhausting. It doesn't look like much from the parking lot, but rest assured, you are in for one hell of a hike. Be sure to bring plenty of fluids. Not really a con. More of a warning.

I didn't know what to expect before arriving here. It almost seemed like one of those love it or hate it types of courses. I mean, It only averaged a little over a 3. That is so far off in my opinion. I rated all the Mason County Park courses a 4. This course is better than all 3 of those. I would put this one at the top of the list if visiting the area, well second I guess, Flip is still first. It's a must play course if you're a serious disc golfer and you're anywhere remotely close to here.

I settled on a 4.5 because it's better than all 3 Mason County Park courses. And those are all solid 4's. I'd probably give it a 4.25 if I could. With some better pads and signs this is a no doubt 4.5. Highly, highly recommend this one.

-ELEVATION
-technical fairways and greens
-professional landscaping
-NO crowds
-serene
-great red, white, and blue Discraft baskets
-concession store with drinks, food, etc
-The BEST tee pads ever! ...for holes 1 & 4
-A ton of signature holes...holes 1, 2, 4, 12, and the beautiful downhill finisher 24 come to mind.

-The WORST tee pads ever...hole 17 is extremely dangerous to ankles
-middle of nowhere
-physically exhausting
-lack of beer can pick up by staff, few trash cans
-spotters needed on blind shots with thick rough

It's now been 5 years since Whiskey Hills was created and it's been a bumpy ride. It was created in conjunction with the Mason County Disc Golf Organization but now is solely run by the staff at Whiskey Creek Campgrounds. In that time there has been conflicts of interest, course design changes, etc...everything you would expect from a new course. Now with the course broken in and the grass replacing the sandy construction paths it is simply beautiful! The owners are landscapers and have built the course with that mentality. Rock walls and structures everywhere, it's breathtaking. Upon our recent outing there we all agreed that Whiskey Hills is easily in the top 5 of most beautiful disc golf courses in Michigan if not the Midwest.

The course is top pro player technical as well. Every shot is there including shots that seem to never get used. How about a 40 degree incline straight up a 300 foot hill that makes a physically demanding par 4?

This would be a top rated course in anyone's book expect for it's one major fatal flaw...it's horrendous tee pads that are scattered throughout. When you start on hole one you are greeted with one of the best tee pads ever created. A huge cobblestone landscaping specialty that makes you think more of these teepads are to come. Then you go to hole 2 and, ok, this one is alright. Hole 3 is where you start to wonder what happened to the hole 1 version. Then hole 4 you get another one of the incredible tee pads, then it's all gone starting on hole 5. It's as if someone just poured concrete on the ground and let it form it's own shape. Almost all tee pads are manageable but there are a few (especially hole 17) that are simply dangerous. The freeform style of the short teepad creates a rounded small drop off at the foot fault line that just welcomes an ankle roll. This happened to us on 17 even knowing that it was a possibility. If the teepads were upgraded, even to the simplistic functional design of hole 2 this course would be a top-rated course not only in Michigan but nation wide. If the teepads were taken to the detailed level of holes 1 & 4 this would be a top tier course that deserves a 4.5 pushing a 5 rating.

Whiskey Hills always get overlooked on road-trips to West Michigan for the likes of Flip City, the Mason County Park, Leviathan, etc....but I am here to say (as a local) make sure this is on your agenda. Flip definitely comes first for it's pure magic but Whiskey Hills is that imperfect gem that can't be missed!

EDIT:All the pics currently for the course on DGCR are from it's first year of construction. They represent in no way it's current state as of 2019 and all the grass that has grown in where there was once sand construction paths.

-- This course is gorgeous. There is a LOT of elevation, especially for a Michigan course. Nearly every hole was uphill or downhill, and some were VERY uphill or downhill. Hole 12 is a legitimate par 4 at just 272 feet, throwing waaaay uphill. Hole 24 is a perfect closing shot: 435 downhill, somewhat tunnel somewhat open shot that requires a very accurate shot with about 330 to 350 foot power. Several of the holes out here would be standout signature holes at most other courses I've played. Also, all the elevation makes this course very aesthetic, and since you are in the middle of nowhere, there are some gorgeous views of the forest and a lake.

-- This course has pretty decent variety as well. There's up, down, left, right. Though the one thing it is missing is a big open bomb (there are a few longer holes, but not incredibly open to allow huge arms to let loose). However, with the elevation, a 300-foot uphill shot takes a lot of power but isn't quite the same as letting one sail for a huge hyzer-flip bomb. I found myself throwing a pretty good variety of shots off the tee though. However, I also feel that, for the most part, it is very RHBH friendly (I found myself throwing a LOT of LHFH shots).

-- Fun. This course is just fun. Every hole requires a bit different of a line, but there is always a line you can immediately envision that just begs to get hit. The holes are also very fair... there aren't many must-get 2's, but every hole gives you a chance if you want to get aggressive, though there are also a lot of easy 3's if you just play smart, position golf. It's really up to the player on where to get aggressive and where to be conservative for an up and down 3.

-- Did I mention it's beautiful? Aside from the aesthetics of the natural land formations, there are also a lot of very pretty cairns (piles of stacked rocks) and well-landscaped areas full of big, white stones and boulders. The fairways are meticulously mowed and manicured and you can tell that A LOT of effort goes into maintaining this course. The 2-foot tall grass other reviewers complained about was nowhere to be seen.

-- I love the baskets. They are nice baskets, catch well, and are painted red, white and blue. Not only does this add a cool look and feel to the course, but they are very easy to see (at least when you are in line of sight of them).

-- It is remote. You won't every likely face a backup while playing here. I had the entire course to myself.

-- The major drawback to this course is navigation. There are a LOT of blind holes, and with the elevation, it isn't always easy/practical to walk 3/4 down the hole to see where the pin is. On some holes, you can see multiple pins and the course maps on the signs are a joke. Twice I played to the wrong basket and had to go back and re-play the hole to the correct one, which isn't always quick given the hills you have to trek to do so. This course desperately needs much, much more detailed and accurate hole maps on the tee signs. Or at least a scorecard map that is more than just a collection of lines that look like a 5th grader drew them. The course does have "next tee" signs on just about every hole though, so finding the next tee pad isn't really a challenge, it's just about whether or not you can figure out where to throw from that tee.

-- Tee pads aren't great. Some are gigantic and nice (like 15ft by 20ft) while others/most are only about 4 feet long. For some holes, the shorter tee is OK because you aren't always looking to bomb, but on others a nice standard sized tee would be huge. Also, while the tees are small, they were mostly very flush to the surrounding ground, so there weren't really places where you could trip or fall due to a drop off at the end of the tee. This is important to me, because I've broken my ankle falling off the front of a tee pad before.

-- This course is not for the faint of heart, out of shape, or for those in a hurry. It's in the absolute middle of nowhere, so really is a destination course. It's also 24 fairly spread out holes over a very demanding and hilly terrain. Don't expect a quick round. Bring LOTS of water and expect a very good workout.

I honestly can't comprehend how this course is rated so poorly (2.75 overall at the time of writing this). From skimming other reviews, it sounds like in the past this course was overrun with tall grass and poorly maintained. That couldn't be further from the condition it was in when I got out there. Between the great course design, the cairns and rock formations everywhere, the elevation, and the overall upkeep, this course reminded me a lot of the famous Flip City. While it doesn't have quite the variety or course design of Flip, it does have a lot more elevation I feel.

While the navigation issues were extremely frustrating at times, I didn't deduct too many points because that is only an issue your first time playing and only if you aren't with someone who knows the course. To me, I forgot my frustrations very quickly as I was constantly delighted by the great tee shots I got to (attempt) to throw. Even taking into account and harshly penalizing for this and other negatives (like small tees in places), I can't understand how you can rate this course below a 3.5 or 3, at worst. I am torn between 4 or 4.5 (due to these issues), but I'm giving a 4.5 because I feel this course is sadly underrated currently.

The overall beauty and fun make this a must play if you are in the area and a great compliment to those traveling to Flip City for a weekend.