Michigan New Course Updates

[tomjulio]

Very Cool! I'm a park ranger for all the Mason County Park courses and we've been working non-stop since last year doing storm cleanup. Built Tinderbox before and after that storm. The MCDGO (local league) is now doing post-cleanup work on the Beauty course, looking at a possible redesign. Would love to see Goliath reworked into merging it into making Beast a one course monster.

I live in Manistee and we've been trying to bring disc golf up here as well, but starting from the family/beginner perspective. Redid Red Syzmarek Park to the best of our ability, helped put a family 9 holer in at the Armory, and are in the process of doing a Tinderbox style 18 hole putter-ace run course right in Lighthouse Park on the lake. First teepads poured last week. Aiming for a TRUE pro course in the next two years for the area. Lots of good stuff happening here in West Michigan, including seeing our first store in the area with Grip and Rip in Ludington!

[mrclc]

Thanks Tom! Tinderbox is a great addition to the area's constellation of courses, and I'm looking forward to what you can do in Manistee.

[DFrah]

Originally Posted by tomjulio

Very Cool! I'm a park ranger for all the Mason County Park courses and we've been working non-stop since last year doing storm cleanup. Built Tinderbox before and after that storm. The MCDGO (local league) is now doing post-cleanup work on the Beauty course, looking at a possible redesign. Would love to see Goliath reworked into merging it into making Beast a one course monster.

I live in Manistee and we've been trying to bring disc golf up here as well, but starting from the family/beginner perspective. Redid Red Syzmarek Park to the best of our ability, helped put a family 9 holer in at the Armory, and are in the process of doing a Tinderbox style 18 hole putter-ace run course right in Lighthouse Park on the lake. First teepads poured last week. Aiming for a TRUE pro course in the next two years for the area. Lots of good stuff happening here in West Michigan, including seeing our first store in the area with Grip and Rip in Ludington!

Ditto what mrclc said! Beauty was the last course I hadn't yet played in that area. Also checked off Labyrinth and The Edge last week (reviews coming soon for all three). You help oversee some fantastic courses!

Would 1000% support the initiative of Goliath being merged into Beast. Looking forward to whatever other improvements you have in mind as well. I imagine the storm plus covid really set things back.

Red Szymarek and Armory are both fun little courses, and ones I'll definitely hit when I don't feel like driving from Manistee back down to Ludington, or over to Udell. I read a news article about that Lighthouse Park. Drove by there and was thinking it would have to be on the short and sweet side, haha. Looking forward to that one too! Keep up the great work.

[tomjulio]

Originally Posted by DFrah

Ditto what mrclc said! Beauty was the last course I hadn't yet played in that area. Also checked off Labyrinth and The Edge last week (reviews coming soon for all three). You help oversee some fantastic courses!

Would 1000% support the initiative of Goliath being merged into Beast. Looking forward to whatever other improvements you have in mind as well. I imagine the storm plus covid really set things back.

Red Szymarek and Armory are both fun little courses, and ones I'll definitely hit when I don't feel like driving from Manistee back down to Ludington, or over to Udell. I read a news article about that Lighthouse Park. Drove by there and was thinking it would have to be on the short and sweet side, haha. Looking forward to that one too! Keep up the great work.

Labyrinth is one of my fave under-rated courses in the whole state. Completely taken care of by the MCDGO but under West Shore Community College's rules, so no permanent tee pads and other odd restrictions. The Edge in Scottville is our just "meh" course around here, but still better than nothing. It to had storm damage that's being worked on by the MCDGO and was kind of in dispute of existing for awhile due to old-timers who hold events on the property. I'll play it if our Grip and Rip league has it scheduled but other than that to many other good courses to soak in here first.

I've attached a link here to the presentation we gave to Manistee City Council on the new family 18 hole putter course, it has a map attached that will give you an idea of what's coming. Think of it as a more mini-golf/obstacle ace run course with distances from 130'-230 feet. It's gonna be very unique for West Michigan. We're aiming for a Labor Day opening but that's all contingent on the Discraft custom painted Chainstar Pros getting to us.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1xaR...ew?usp=sharing

[DFrah]

I loved Labyrinth! I actually didn't mind those tee pads at all. The paver arrays all seemed pretty flat and level and I don't typically throw with a big run-up. I thought the biggest thing it could use was a signage upgrade. It took me a long time to find a couple of the long tees.

The Edge was fun too, I have it ranked last in the area as well right now but I don't think I have played bayou (?) holes like that before. I didn't notice much storm damage other than one tree blocking a path, and another one covering part of one fairway.

Thank you for this presentation link! Looks like a unique setting right on the lake, and appears to avoid the other park amenities pretty well. Custom painted baskets oooo! I see that Silver Creek photo - is a lighthouse basket in the plans?

[tomjulio]

Originally Posted by DFrah

I see that Silver Creek photo - is a lighthouse basket in the plans?

I can neither confirm nor deny this well kept secret.

[MHaas]

Originally Posted by ru4por

I know we will shortly get to see Toboggan in it's full glory, but I thought I would give my impression. Got out and played (brutalized) on Friday morning. The changes are real. They have pushed back a couple pins since USADGC and it looks like they have one to go. The tee pads are top tier. We played shorts and this course simply does not provide for any break. It is relentless in it's beating. For player not rated near 1000, it is simply out of our league. Fun, but built (redesigned) for a different skill set. The new fairways are going to need a year or two to grow some nice grass, but all of them were well thought out. Since the Russian Olive removal a handful of years ago, most of the rough on this course is not punishing. You can make mistakes and still be in the hunt for par (if you are 1000 rated). The park has tapped into water on the pavilion side of the parking lot, for watering an area that seems to be for a tent or tournament set up. I really hope they make this a drinking fountain or source of potable water. This course could use it. Terrific morning....my rating is four Motrin.

We were out there Friday morning too (first group out at 7am, having that place to yourself is awfully nice), agree with everything you said here that even from the shorts this course is a tough haul for us mere mortals. I gave it what I thought was a pretty good effort and still ended up 9 over with one lost disc.

Case in point, I had a chance to get up and down for par on four. Juiced my approach just a little bit, and sailed all the way down the hill on the back side of the green and ended up halfway down five's fairway (in my defense I'd forgotten how quickly the back side of that green slopes away). Three shots later a would-be par is a double bogey.

All that said, what a great time and every year I'm reminded what a beautiful piece of land that part of the park is. I'll see your four Motrin and raise you a couple Jamesons later that evening...

[Nick Pacific]

Originally Posted by elmexdela

myles has a slow start then gets into the fun stuff and then the last two holes just leave a sour taste in your mouth especially hole 18 the ingredients are there for a 4.5 course and when you see all the unused land and potential you will cry a little

i needed to experience first hand the hype behind hart hydro and apparently im one of the last to know cuz everyone else got the message as i didnt see a single other person there

Hole 18 at Myles is sweet. Bomber through a very generous gap then an approach near that huge old growth tree. 17 as well, huge hyzer up the hill. I don't see how shortening either one of those two holes up would make them better. They make for good rec/int. level par 4s and challenging par 3s for a big arms (especially 18).

How else would you get back to the parking lot? And you certainly don't want to venture out into the fields to the right. I mean I guess they could be redesigned to wrap you back into the woods from 16 but that would mean a completely different 17/18 that run into hole 3 or near it?

If anything I'd like to see some of the dinker gimmie holes redesigned in the woods that are far too easy, pitch and putt holes have no place on this beautiful property.

But yeah, all that land in there. That course and land has all the potential to be a 4.5. It was put in a long time ago and could definitely use some tweaks. Either way, ya'll are spoiled, I played that course for years on some really garbage rubber tee pads, what an upgrade new cement pads were.

If you think Myles is wasted potential, go play Boyne Mountain sometime. Take a gander around the holes as you traverse the property and you'll realize that could be the best course in Michigan.

[davetherocketguy]

Originally Posted by Nick Pacific

If you think Myles is wasted potential, go play Boyne Mountain sometime. Take a gander around the holes as you traverse the property and you'll realize that could be the best course in Michigan.

Could not agree more.

[davetherocketguy]

Speaking of Boyne...As I recall there are like 2 horribly uphill holes. Uphill is bad enough but I remember those fairways to be super duper sandy and excruciating to walk up. I get why there has to be uphill holes but with all the land do they have to be THERE?