Potterville, MI

Lake Alliance

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2.715(based on 12 reviews)
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7 0
davetherocketguy
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.6 years 114 played 105 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Lake Alliance? How about Lake Abomination? 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 27, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

- There are 17 baskets...?
- #7 was a fun long downhill shot. The view from the #7 tee is nice if you're into water towers, suburbs and industrial parks.
- Where there were tee signs they were nice. Served the purpose and distances seemed accurate.
- The lake is pretty.

Cons:

Egad...tl:dr - I did not like this course.

- There are no tee pads here. Just rutted out ankle twisting grassless swaths. Some of the wooded holes have what appeared to be some asphalt paved tee boxes that are kinda there now but have mostly vanished.
- Where is the number 2 tee?
- Single layer chain baskets on most holes. I have no idea what kind these are. They do not catch worth a crap.
- The first five holes are wide-open shots on mowed grass fairways. Yawn. Six is the first sort of interesting hole with the basket tucked between some trees at 495 feet. Even so, it's still wide open flat mowed fairway.
- Navigation is weird in some spots you will definitely need the map for your first visit. There are occasional next tee signs but nowhere near enough. Number seven is way on top of the hill after number six and it's quite a hike. What's worse is you have to walk straight up the number seven Fairway to get to the number 7 tee. I didn't really see a good way around.
- Where is the #10 tee? I suspect that tee was pulled because it looks like a brand new pavilion was installed immediately next to the fairway.
- Then comes hole 11 through 16 going through the woods. These weren't bad but really really short.
- Apparently the number 15 basket has been stolen that's too bad because that looked like it used to be an interesting hole.
- Where is the #16 tee? I found a rock with a "16" painted on it sooooo...I guess play from there?
- And then comes 17 and 18...back to boring wide open fairways.
- Never did find the number 18 tee so I just played from smoothed out patch in the ground that sorta looked like where it should be.
- Very very spread out course. I'm all for getting out and exercising but if I come to a dg course I expect to play more disc golf than hike. If I wanted to hike I'd find some nature trails.

Other Thoughts:

This is a nice park to be sure but the disc golf is sorely neglected. It's also a study in how not every plot of land is well suited to this game. Holes 1 through 10 and 17 & 18 are prime examples. Wide open mowed grass fairways an interesting DG experience does not make.

If I were in charge of this park a complete and utter redesign would happen. I see no reason not to pull every single basket and completely change this place up. Why didn't the wooded area between the lake and the dirt track get utilized? There is a time and place for wide open long holes but not on 75% of the course.

Obviously, some serious deterioration and neglect has happened here since the last reviews and today. I'm actually pretty irritated I wasted so much time on the dumb course but by the time I decided I wanted to leave I was sitting on top of the hill at #7 tee on the exact opposite of the lake from where I parked by the number 1 hole. Hate to say it but this is probably the second worse course I have ever played. Sure it has your basic amenities such as tee signs, benches and so on but if the DG experience is crap it doesn't matter how good the amenities are. If you absolutely must play here keep in mind there is very little shade and is bound to get tremendously hot mid summer so be prepared. Otherwise, get back in your trusted steed and drive another 15 minutes down the road to Grand Woods Park and play there. You'll thank me later.
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6 0
apdrvya
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 13.9 years 350 played 293 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Decent little park 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 23, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Aesthetic-Nice park, multi-use, plays clockwise around a mid-sized lake. many holes bring water into play, one holes plays over a smaller pond.

-Navigation/Signage- fairly easy with the exception of the long walks between 6 and 7, 9 and 10 and 16 and 17. Signage is reasonable and distances seem accurate, nice to have "next tee" signs in places.

-Variety- Nice variety here with many different challenges. water, woods, field, bombs this course has a little of everything.

-Dual tees (in places)- they're not overly necessary but they're nice to see

Cons:

-teepads-Dirt scuffs, a bit uneven and rutty, I played off to the side a couple times.

-Baskets- These are either pretty old or home made. the "basket" is very deep and they only have single chains.

-risk v reward-there isn't a ton here, water, while in play isn't really "in play." the wooded holes are very short and don't pose much difficulty but it was nice to make up a few strokes with birdies.

Other Thoughts:

This was the nicer of the two parks I visited today, I had a good time playing here but with temps approaching 100 degrees I was exhausted by the end of the round. the potential here is better than most, I just feel that the risk v reward could be higher.
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5 0
JSurmann
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.6 years 76 played 28 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Very Clean Scenic Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 22, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is a beauty. I went in November after the leaves have fallen and had a blast. The layout of 18 holes makes a giant loop and for a first timer, navigation was not an issue because tees are marked with 4x4 posts in the ground.

The first 9-10 holes are quite open with a slight RHBH favor, with trees coming into play only on maybe 3 of them. The first holes are the longer ones and range from ~200'-500'+. These play around a lake and #4 forces a shot over a smaller pond guarded by trees. This was the most nerve-wracking hole for me.

11-16 are quite wooded and a lot shorter. One is only 100' but these are so tight and technical that they were fun as well. Not once while I was out there was I bored. Be advised that there is no line through 16. So wooded you can barely see the basket. Still fun though.

17 & 18 are open holes to finish it off and play around a lawn mower racing track. I only wished they were racing while I was there.

Signature hole is #7. Throwing off the top of a nice sized sledding hill was pretty cool.

Baskets are generally in good shape, catch well and none were wobbly or off centered, which is a big pet peeve of mine. Benches were on a few of the holes and were sturdy as well.

I do not think I saw one piece of litter the whole time I was there. Exceptionally clean place to play.

There are also plenty of other things to do in the park. Hiking/mountain bike trails, baseball fields, fishing and a playground for the little ones. Also saw quite a lot of wildlife including 3 white tailed deer and 2 rabbits in the woods.

Cons:

The main thing that is holding this course back are the tee pads. The open hole tee pads are dirt and they are word into the ground. Sometimes 4-5 inch deep ruts. Since it recently rained, a few were filled with water. The ones in the woods aren't as bad as these are filled in with wood chips for the most part. Also, the fairway of 6 was filled with water from a rain of two days prior so bring a change of socks and shoes in the car if it rained recently.

I don't think I saw but maybe a few trash cans on the course and that was by hole 1 and 7's parking lot. Parking lot by hole 1 is small. 5-6 cars max. There is a large 100+ car lot by 7 so you could essentially start on 7 and then play a loop if you want.

Other Thoughts:

This is a fairly decent flat course that I would not hesitate to stop at again when traveling. Just 3-4 minutes off the highway and very esay to get to. When entering the park, take the first road on the left and go through the woods. After you pass the lawnmower racing track on the left the parking lot is on the right by a small pavilion.

This course has the room, especially in the woods and the areas around the woods to make a few more holes and I would like to see a practice basket by the parking lot but this is still a solid course. Concrete tee pads could change this into a 3.5 course or higher if they cleared out a few of the wooded holes as well.

**Let me know if I left something out that you want to know about**
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5 1
AdamE
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 20.5 years 264 played 143 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 11, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Lake Alliance is set in a nice park and plays around a lake. There are nice tee signs on every hole that have a diagram and list the distance.

Despite some medium walks between some of the holes, navigating the course was fairly easy. The tee signs were on 4x4's making the next tee easy to spot. Plus I noticed a few navigational signs to help point you in the right direction.

The first 3 holes are open but have the lake on the right. It's far enough away that it really doesn't come into play, but it's definitely on your mind as you throw.

Hole 4 shoots over/around a very small pond with some trees growing up which make it interesting.

Holes 6-9 play through a lightly wooded area where a few trees will come into play. There are two 500 foot holes in this group that added some nice variety.

Hole 7 is definitely the signature hole here, the tee pad is on top of a huge hill (maybe 100-150 ft up?).

Holes 11-16 are short, technical wooded holes. Some have a few routes to the basket. Despite being so short, I found them quite fun.

Overall there's a nice balance of open, wooded and water shots.

Cons:

Dirt tees are starting to get rutted out.

I was surprised how short the course is considering the vast amount of space in the park.

With the exception of hole 7, the course is mostly flat. That makes the open, waterless holes (particularly 5, 17 & 18) even more boring.

Hole 7 is an out there and back hole. You basically walk by its basket and up the fairway to get to the tee pad, then throw and walk back. Thankfully hole 7 is very cool so the walk is worth it.

Since the pictures were taken, hole 16 has been moved into the woods. The only problem is there isn't really a fairway on this hole, so poke and hope!

Other Thoughts:

This is a great course for rec and beginner players to start out on, but you aren't going to find any challenge here.

I stopped to play here while passing by. It's only a mile from the highway and made for an enjoyable, quick round to stretch my legs.
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1 1
sgamerp
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 16 years 99 played 73 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 10, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

A lot of good shots. a nice down hill bomb. Some water could be in play. Wind can carry discs as it's very open. There is a god amount of wood and open fields.

Cons:

Grooming could be done. A lot of tall rough. And a lot of stuff that is just to rough to even be able to walk in.

Other Thoughts:

We meet up with the guys who work on thsi course and they helped us out and they actually had a golf cart which they would carry us around in and let us ride to the better ways to get to the rough. It was pretty new when we went and with a group of 6 we lost 5 discs. 2 in water and 3 in the woods.
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2 3
CharlotteChris
Experience: 17.8 years 4 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun course with a bad ending 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 9, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Good variety of open and wooded holes. Really like the tee at the top of the hill.

Cons:

The holes near the lawnmower track just seem like they are forced. There is nothing interesting about them. There is just a tee box and a basket.

Other Thoughts:

If you're planning to dive the pond for discs, be ready for the leaches. We watched a group of guys gathering used disc after used disc. Then they came out of the water and were covered with leaches. Hope it was worth it...
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2 2
eugy9228
Experience: 19.8 years 22 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Must play 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 2, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great hole setup playing around the lake, not to mention the hilltop tee makes this course a must play . If your accurate with your drives this course is great.

Cons:

Some holes are fairly repetetive yet still well managed, Course needs to be better maintained on some holes that could be welcome improvments.

Other Thoughts:

I drive an hour to and from this park just to play. For being rather new theres only room for small improvments at best .
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2 0
gpaaske
Experience: 18.6 years 8 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Wiiiindy! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 2, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

The first 10 are good for beginner/intermediate players. Most holes are between 200-350 feet, with a couple being 350+. Hole 7 is a ton of fun, the Pro Tee is up on top of the sled hill, and throws 500ft down dead straight. Holes 11-16 are in the woods, and are more challenging. The holes are no more then 250ft long but there are a ton of trees, lots of possible aces, and more then enough birdies. Last 2 holes are very straight forward. Overall a fun little course.

Cons:

Like most people said, the tees. They are made from a mixture of gravel, wood chips, and what looks like crushed up concrete. Hole 7 scared the pants off me when I threw, it is probably a 25ft hill, that is fairly steep, and with me having a somewhat long run up, I froze at the last second for fear of falling, still managed a good throw :). Being that it is early in the year, I didn't run into bugs, but use common sense, there will be bugs in the woods on almost any course, so be prepared.

Other Thoughts:

I will play here again, I live in Lansing, so I mainly frequent the local courses, this was a nice change of pace.
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4 0
jamays
Experience: 14.5 years 18 played 6 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Area Competition 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 12, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is slightly above average overall and provides good competition for the other courses in the area.

The Front Nine:
The front nine are wide open and close to water. Thankfully, the water is mostly on the right side of the hole, making throwing for a righty fairly easy.

The Back Nine:
The back nine is mostly in the woods, which is a nice change from shooting wide open holes. Once in awhile, the fairway to the basket is very small and it is better to throw a thumber.

Cons:

The tee boxes are wood chips and dirt. When you're throwing you have to be aware of condition of the box.

Other Thoughts:

The course is open on the front and woods in the back (business in the front and party in the back?). Most of the course is well marked.
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10 2
DirtyMittenDG
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.9 years 112 played 55 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 12, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Lake Alliance is a fun course with good variety! The first half of the course is mostly open with both long and short holes. Hole #7 is a huge 500 ft. bomb off a sled hill. The 2nd half of the course is moslty wooded and technical with a couple open holes at the very end. Tee signs on every hole are nice. Theres really no place you can get lost on the course, besides maybe after hole #6 if you dont know you have to walk to the top of the hill. There's alot of chances for aces here, but the longer holes will make up for it on the score card. A few water hazards make for interesting shots too.

Cons:

-For the most part the layout is good, but theres alot of spots you think maybe the placement of the pins or tees could be better or more challenging.

-Tee pads are wood chips, and they can factor in on your throws on some of the longer holes.

-Make sure you bring bug spray!! If not you'll get eaten alive on the back half of the course.

Other Thoughts:

-Overall this course is worth the trip if in the area or near it. With all the ace runs, water hazards, and bomber hill, this course has a high fun factor in my opinion.
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3 7
Jim Play Two
Experience: 45.7 years 26 played 6 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Wind on the Mountain 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 28, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Tee from the top of the hill.
Great signage!!
Aced #14 my 2nd time through.

Cons:

Very windy coarse. Out in the open.
Mosquitoes are terrible in the woods.

Other Thoughts:

Easy to follow the flow of the coarse.
The lake is very nice.

Basket #16 is curently missing
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4 4
monkey_doctor
Experience: 14.9 years 4 played 1 reviews
2.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 13, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

* Variety of Wooded and Open Holes
* Pro and Am tees on many holes
* Holes are well marked
* Final 2 Holes are by a Lawn Mower Racing Track
* Short drive from Joe's Gizzard City

Cons:

* Wind causes some holes to play longer than distance on tee sign.
* If your disc goes off course in the woods you will need a machete to retrieve it. Growth is very thick
* Tees are loose dirt clods on some holes.
* Baskets seem a little low

Other Thoughts:

Course is fairly new (I think). Some grooming and maybe packing the tee area down some and this course will be nice to play.

Hole 4 is a 250 foot across a swap type thing.
Hole 7 is a 450 foot throw downhill
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