East Interlocken Park reviews
12
0
Green Grass for Green Players 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Jul 25, 2021
Played the course:once
Pros:
A reasonable track in a well-manicured commercial area.
-Multi-Tees: There are some alternate tees, but they aren't consistently marked. With enough time here, I'm sure you could find all of them.
-Maintenance: This is a nice area off of a business loop. As such, it's got good manicuring, thick grass, and altogether creates a generally pleasant environment.
-Rec-Friendly: With these distances, the course shapes up well for rec-level players. I found it very enjoyable to relax on a temperate afternoon.
-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: Generally quite competent. A smattering of trees, elevation, and water are mixed in with blander holes. The first three play with guardian trees and sidehills, (4)-(5) use an artificial creek to great effect, (6)-(7) are wide open, and the closing two have some tighter gaps and suffer danger from the sidewalk. All are birdieable, but they'll feel like satisfying birdies with the marginal danger throughout.
-Multi-Tees: There are some alternate tees, but they aren't consistently marked. With enough time here, I'm sure you could find all of them.
-Maintenance: This is a nice area off of a business loop. As such, it's got good manicuring, thick grass, and altogether creates a generally pleasant environment.
-Rec-Friendly: With these distances, the course shapes up well for rec-level players. I found it very enjoyable to relax on a temperate afternoon.
-Shot Shaping/Gameplay: Generally quite competent. A smattering of trees, elevation, and water are mixed in with blander holes. The first three play with guardian trees and sidehills, (4)-(5) use an artificial creek to great effect, (6)-(7) are wide open, and the closing two have some tighter gaps and suffer danger from the sidewalk. All are birdieable, but they'll feel like satisfying birdies with the marginal danger throughout.
Cons:
-Scope: Longest hole tops out around 330' and wide open. This isn't the place to be challenged.
-Navigation: The absence of tees makes it a confusing playthrough. There are also some longer transitions that, while intuitive, still make you wonder.
-Drainage: The artificial drainage ditch on (4) is more dangerous than it seems - it washed away one of my discs. Crossing the ditch on (5) is messy and there's no way around that I can see.
-Sidewalk: Comes into play on the last two, which are definitely safety issues. It's a shame, as the shaping on those two is possibly the most interesting.
-Amenities: DGA baskets, spray-painted tees on pavement, functional but not stellar tee signs.
-Navigation: The absence of tees makes it a confusing playthrough. There are also some longer transitions that, while intuitive, still make you wonder.
-Drainage: The artificial drainage ditch on (4) is more dangerous than it seems - it washed away one of my discs. Crossing the ditch on (5) is messy and there's no way around that I can see.
-Sidewalk: Comes into play on the last two, which are definitely safety issues. It's a shame, as the shaping on those two is possibly the most interesting.
-Amenities: DGA baskets, spray-painted tees on pavement, functional but not stellar tee signs.
Other Thoughts:
As my title suggests, this is a decent spot for newer players. The environment is appealing for a niner in a metro area, as is the shaping. However, the equipment really isn't much and the course does lack challenge. Overall, it's a good fit in the lower end of my Reasonable bin. It's vastly overrated on this site, but I see why people find it enjoyable.
4
0
enragedmullet
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience:
12.5 years
115 played
79 reviews
East Initech 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Jun 17, 2017
Played the course:once
Pros:
- Fun quick little course w/ a number of ace runs that should really be par 2's
- Baskets are in good condition as are tee pads/sidewalk
- Signage is adequate, not that you'd need it the holes are often so short. There's also a nice free map at the kiosk near #1.
- Plays a nice quick loop
- Very manicured, no real underbrush here, high grass won't be a problem
- Restrooms/water fountain nearby
- Baskets are in good condition as are tee pads/sidewalk
- Signage is adequate, not that you'd need it the holes are often so short. There's also a nice free map at the kiosk near #1.
- Plays a nice quick loop
- Very manicured, no real underbrush here, high grass won't be a problem
- Restrooms/water fountain nearby
Cons:
- Can get clogged up especially w/ groups of 7 in front of you
- The whole course is on the short side, so distance variety isn't really great and it can feel a bit one-dimensional. A couple of the holes are freakishly short. No bombers here, no real surgical shots needed either.
- Cramped, a little underwhelming.
- The whole course is on the short side, so distance variety isn't really great and it can feel a bit one-dimensional. A couple of the holes are freakishly short. No bombers here, no real surgical shots needed either.
- Cramped, a little underwhelming.
Other Thoughts:
East Interlocken DG has a weird ambience. This small park is stuffed in between Hwy 36 and a busy business/retail area. It feels like the place an Initech employee would come to blow off some steam instead of setting the building on fire. At face value it's impeccably maintained but the park area is so small that you feel cramped. Between roads, sidewalks, the pavilion and what I'll call a narrow urban creek there are some unconventional hazards here. It's great for beginners, those looking to work on distance control, and those looking for a super quick round (assuming it isn't crowded). If you stop by, also check out the 9 holes at Superior just up the road - they make for an interesting 18 holes and are almost complete opposites.
