Boom Park in Muskegon, MI (also known as Richards Park) is a small piece of land sandwiched between a major state highway to the east, a railroad track to the west, and two branches of the Muskegon River to the north and south. There is also a large pond in the center of the park. Boom Park DGC is a 10-holer that plays counterclockwise around the pond.

As you might guess, there are plenty of water holes here. Baskets 5-8 and 10 all have water just behind/to the left of them, while on holes 1-3 it's on your right throughout the hole. These pin locations will make you think twice about trying for aces or long throw ins.

I agree with apdrvya that hole 7 is the signature hole on this course. On this hole you have to first throw across a small canal that is maybe 100' off the tee, then another 240' with water on your left to a basket tucked near the water. I also like hole 1. It's a 240' hole that is a sharp dogleg right off the tee, with thick swampy rough defining the dogleg. The river lurks just behind the basket to catch any discs that sail past it. This is the only hole on the course that strongly encourages an anhyzer for RHBH throwers.

The baskets are Chainstars and all in good shape. There is also an extra basket near hole 9's basket/hole 1's tee. If this is supposed to be a practice basket, it's a little too close to hole 9's basket for my liking.

The tee signs are all there. I don't really like the aesthetic of them (they have enlarged photos with clipart-style arrows pointing between tee and basket), but they get the job done with hole number and distance.

Hole ___ [hole number] plays on flat terrain ___ [next to/across] the park loop road, to a basket located just ___ [in front of/next to] the ___ [pond/river]. Fill in this Mad Lib and you have likely described one of the holes here. The only ones that vary significantly from this theme are: hole 4 (starts next to the water and plays away from it), hole 7 (as described above), and hole 9 (no water, but straight across a flat field with no obstacles). My point is, the variety here is lacking. Even playing only 10 holes, I started to get deja vu. Given the land available, I understand the lack of elevation and unusual majority of water holes. However, it seems like the designers could at least move a couple baskets away from the water and maybe plant a couple more trees to spice things up.

There isn't really any challenge here besides staying out of the water, and the thick rough next to it. The distances are respectable but not long enough to really air it out, and there aren't enough trees to force any shot shaping on most holes.

As mentioned above, the park loop road around the pond is in play on almost every hole. With the course so open there aren't any blind shots, so safety is your responsibility. The bigger issue is that this park seems to be popular with fishermen, who will park anywhere along the road...and set up anywhere in the weeds next to disc golf fairways. Throw carefully.

The tee pads are basically nonexistent (natural) as of this writing. It looks like they were wooden boxes in the ground filled in with gravel at one point, but now the gravel is missing, the wooden boxes are mostly buried, and the marsh is encroaching on a couple of them. Some tee signs also mention alternate tee pads, but I couldn't find them.

Other than the tee signs there is no other signage. Some signage indicating where to park would be a good start, as the course starts at what feels like the back of the park. I also had to look around to find the next tee on a couple of occasions. The map posted on here is accurate and helpful, but you'll have to download it as it isn't available on site.

I don't understand why hole 10 was added. This is one of two Muskegon area courses that have 10 holes, and on both of them hole 10 does more harm than good to the overall course experience. In this case, hole 10 starts with a tee pad that is just a few feet in front of/to the left of hole 9's basket - too close for comfort. Then it plays basically the same as holes 5, 6, and 8 before it - across the park loop road to a basket near the pond. This hole also plays away from hole 1, whose tee pad is nicely located near hole 9's basket (but that one is not so close as to be dangerous). If you were playing the course twice it would be nice to have hole 1's teepad near hole 9's basket, but the addition of hole 10 negates this benefit.

As of July 2021, the park cannot be entered in a vehicle via Ottawa St. Cement barriers are blocking the street at the Muskegon River bridge/entrance to the park. However, you can park on the south side of the Muskegon River bridge on Ottawa St and walk approx. 750' to the first tee. Alternatively, you can enter the park from the north via M-120. I updated the Directions on the Course Info page accordingly.

With all of the water hazards and very thick rough, there is a serious chance of lost discs here. I would not recommend this course for beginner players or anyone with control issues. Those looking for a friendly recreational round should check out Smith-Ryerson DGC less than one mile away.

This course is at the mercy of the land it is on. If you read the Wall posts, you will see that it was unplayable when I first visited in September 2020 due to high water table levels. Between September 2020 and July 2021 the water table dropped dramatically, making the course playable. However, it could easily become unplayable again in the future if the water rises.

Overall, this course provides decent practice for those looking to play some water holes. If not looking for that specifically, there are several better options within a short drive.