Hammond Hill DGC is located near Hastings, MI. This course consists of two 9-hole loops that each circle back to the parking lot. The front nine is a little more wooded than the back nine, but both loops provide solid technical disc golf.

This course has enough teeth to challenge most disc golfers. There is plenty of distance, with several holes over 400' and a couple approaching 500' (everything is signed as par 3 but I think a couple of these longest ones should be par 4). Control is required here too. Some holes are semi-open but most are relatively tight - and that was my impression when I played in mid April. I bet the lines get even tighter in the summer with foliage grown in. Some fun shorter throws are mixed in to shake things up too.

The park has lots of elevation change, and it is used well throughout the course. The course starts off with a fun thread-the-needle type throw down a steep hill in the woods as many other reviewers have mentioned. Other holes I enjoyed particularly were #5 (tricky wooded dogleg right on top of a ridge) and #13 (a flatter dogleg left with a relatively wide wooded fairway, but with the basket perched on top of a large man-made mound). Quite a few other baskets are also positioned on steep slopes, creating fun and risky putting situations.

The course has two tee pads per hole with a distinct long and short layout. The long tee pads are concrete slabs in good shape. The short pads are currently natural, but it looked like they may be getting upgraded to concrete in the near future ("under construction" vibes). Where necessary, the tees have frames built into the hillsides to ensure that they remain perfectly flat. In a couple of places, high quality stairs have been cut into the hillsides as well. These safety improvements (at hole 1 in particular) looked to be recent, addressing the issue mentioned by previous reviewers. Trash cans and benches are placed near most tees.

Navigation is easy here thanks to orange clips in the bottom of basket rungs pointing towards the next tee, AND separate arrow signs where needed.

The baskets are red Chainstar Pros. The holes where pin positions are harder to see/over a hill from the tee have custom red flags on top, which was really nice. There is one basket per hole, but they are periodically moved between two pin positions per a schedule on the kiosk. I'd love to see two permanent baskets per hole, but the pin positions + schedule is the next best thing in my mind.

The front of the course also has a porta potty and donation box. There is a practice basket too, although the location of it is not very intuitive (it is on the opposite side of the parking lot from the kiosk/first tee). There is also actually a "practice" tee pad located 210' away from the practice basket. I think this is the first time I have seen a complete "practice hole" on a course!

A couple of safety concerns:
- Hole 1 is great now, but there are a couple other places on the course that could still use similar stairs for traversing steep spots.
- Hiking/mountain biking trails running near some holes appeared to be popular. Stay alert (and note that the white numbered poles are trail markers, not disc golf tees).
- A couple of the holes played pretty close together.
- The parking lot defines one side of the fairway for the "practice hole". I'm glad this hole is not part of the actual course!

The tee signs could be improved. They are large, but most of the space is taken up by a huge sponsor ad. I actually did a double take upon seeing the sign for hole 1 - I thought it was ONLY a sponsor ad at first. Next to the ad is a small rough schematic showing the general flight path and distance to each pin position. I found myself consistently needing to either guess where the pins were located, or walk up the fairways to find out. They also only appear at the long tees. Refreshed signage at both long and short tees would definitely be nice.

The rough looked like it would be very thick in the summer. I think disc loss could be a distinct possibility at that time of year.

There was no course map posted on the kiosk as of my visit.

This is a solid technical course. I would definitely think about a 4.0 rating if there were two complete sets of tees and baskets, complete with better tee signage. Writing this a couple weeks after visiting, most of the specific holes have already faded from my mind. But don't take that as a major knock. Although it may lack individual memorable holes, this is definitely a fun play overall - and challenging too especially if you play the long-to-long layout as I did. It's a little off the beaten path but if you find yourself between Grand Rapids and Battle Creek, this one is 100% worth a stop.

Lots of different angles and shots are necessary to navigate this course successfully. Ended up at 58 on my first time throwing the course and felt fairly good about it (+3). Great variety in terms of right to left, left to right. Having only played once I can say it would take a few goes to figure out where I feel I'd be better off with a forehand as opposed to a anny backhand and the other way around.

Fairways are tight but at the same time fair. There are lines to hit and if you hit them you are rewarded. If you do not hit your line there is a lot of what would be referred to as natural OB which can and will add strokes to your round. This is my favorite type of course as it tests your scrambling skills as well as your ability to stay out of those situations to begin with.

Quality cement tee pads at each hole with little stones embedded in them with the hole number.

Hole 1 is an extremely fun starting hole. Straight downhill tunnel shot. I laced the tunnel and landed a few feet from the basket but an errant drive could certainly kick into some nasty areas. Great looking hole as well as a hole that is indicative of the nature of the course.

Holes 1 through 9 continue for the most part in a similar fashion; heavily wooded with nasty rough, significant elevation, well placed baskets. Multiple holes in this front 9 I would consider memorable.

The back 9 opens up a little bit and plays through some areas with tall grass carving out the fairways. The wind plays a much more significant factor and gives a different feel than the heavily wooded front 9. Elevation is still significant and plays a large role in keeping the back 9 fun and interesting.

Hole 14's basket is on top of a 8 foot high mound of dirt with no real landing zone on top. This hole is the lone par 4 (at least with the current basket positions). I'm not sure entirely sure how I feel about it. I got a par on the hole this first round but could certainly see it being frustrating. It certainly discourages running a birdie put in favor of trying to lay up (which can be risky business in and of itself). I'm sure the fact that I I Par'd it impacted how much I enjoyed the hole and the fact that I'm putting this in the pro section. I could certainly see this being in the con section as well...I guess time will tell as I get a few more rounds in at this course.

Though there was only one set of baskets there are multiple pin positions denoted on the maps that give different looks.

Let's start with hole 1. As much as I love throwing the hole I really didn't enjoy getting down to my shot. There really needs to be some sort of rail road tie step system implemented or something...even a rope to hang on to would be great as it is pretty steep and eroding pretty heavily.

Lots of blind tee shots. This isn't so bad if you have a spotter or if you know the course really well. If you are not familiar with the course you will be walking half way up a lot of fairways to sneak a peek at the basket before you throw especially because the tee signs don't really help too much. Not only are the multiple pin positions noted on the pad but the signs themselves lack detail so they aren't too helpful.

I didn't think the rough was too bad but I stayed out of it for the most part. It could certainly be trimmed back in some areas without ruining the difficulty of the holes. At the very least the course would look cleaner if it was cleaned out a bit.

A few areas could use some directional cues as there are a lot of trails going through the woods for the bicycle riders.

I was lucky enough to play my first round at Hammond Hills with two guys that knew the course. We routinely acted as spotters for each other which was super helpful. I would not suggest playing a solo round at this course until you had already played it a few times.

I had a great time playing this course..I would come back in a heartbeat. With improvement to tee signs and safety measures like steps on hole 1 and fighting back thorn bushes I think this course could easily earn a 4. I was seriously torn between a 3.5 and a 4 wanted to give it a 3.75 because so many of the holes are memorable and stuck in my head but I couldn't justify it when the cons are things that are easily fixable.

--aesthetic--beautiful piece of property with lake views on the front 9 and rolling meadows on the back. a hiking trail winds through most of the front.

--baskets--Discraft with nice big orange bands for visibility. the vast majority of these are BLIND throws, so visibility makes all the difference.

--teepads--nice and big, brushed concrete. many of them had brooms for deadfall

--signage--great signage (though #1 is missing) shows distances to the multiple pin locations and designated landing areas.

--Blind shots--as has been covered before, huck and hope is the name of the game out here if you don't want to play the course twice.

--navigation--tough in spots. Next tee signs would be helpful. The front 9 plays pretty straight but the back plays through meadows that make it tricky to follow somewhat.

--Hole 17--the tee points down fairway "x", but the basket is down fairway "y" very difficult to know where to throw. I got very lost and just found 18 and back tracked.

This course is a workout in a good way, the hills keep you huffing and puffing the whole round! Talked to a local after my round, apparently they want to expand the course to 24 holes AND add a second 24 hole course in the future. exciting stuff there. course is clear and the hastings huckers have been out clearing deadfall. you can tell by all the burn pits that have fresh ash and tinder.

Nice Concrete tee pads. Decent signage indicating alternate pads and both basket locations. fairly easy to navigate from hole to hole. Nice and quiet meaning that the only people generally out there are only disc golfers. You aren't sharing the area with other uses. nice mix of shots needed to navigate the holes. each 9 seems to loop back to the parking lot.

I didn't have a problem with it but the rough could be bad at times. Hole 1 really needs some type of work to help you get down the steep hill with out fear of falling or tripping down the hill. don't mind blind shots too much but there seemed to be a lot of them. i would walk ahead a bit just so i could get an idea as to where the pin placement was in order to determine where i wanted my disc to land. looks like it could get very buggy out there so would recommend bringing bug spray.

Port a John on site is nice. saw some brooms near the pads on some of the holes. It was a nice scenic walk through the woods while playing. Like the view of the lake as we walked down the sixth fairway. I would advise that you bring plenty of water with you. you may need to refill after the first nine. Especially if you are out of shape like me. the up and down hills really gave me a work out. Played it in spring so could get interesting on some of the holes after the leaves start appearing on the trees and bushes. I like the kiosk by hole 1 telling when which holes would be in the long or short positions. want to go back and play it again this time i will be more prepared for it.

-Good tees, signage, easy to navigate.
-Nice variety of shots for both lefties and righties, sidearm or backhand. Nice elevation on a few holes.
-Most holes have several lines to play, play it safe or be the hero.
-Little to no foot traffic, no vandalism and very clean.

-I can see where the rough is thick, though with even my moderate skill I stayed well clear of it. Mark your shots and you'll be fine.
-On your first visit, check the map at hole one for which pins are in play. Pins move monthly between two alternates. It gives the course replay value, but I list it as a con because it reduces that comfort of playing familiar holes.
-BUGS. All caps for a reason. Spray kept them from biting but at times it was hard to concentrate through the fog of mosquitoes.

We played on a Friday afternoon and didn't see a soul except the grounds keeper out mowing. Maybe 10 minutes total spent looking for discs even with multiple throws. The longest pin (right now) was about 430', which was perfect some ace runs and birdies with my arm, but some might find it too easy. I wouldn't drive hours to play the course, but if you're nearby don't miss out on this one.

Great variety of elevation, open, tunnel shots etc. Good risk reward. We basically had the place to ourselves on a late summer Sunday.

Some of the short tees are kind of easy.

I left my yellow Stormtrooper dyed Sidewinder out there. Find it, get ahold of me at [email protected] and I will gladly dye you something of your choice for free in exchange for return.
Otherwise treat her well.
It Likes: Elevated tee pads and ani's in the wind.
It Dislikes: Water and fall leaves.

-Shot variety. This course has lots of it. The front nine holes are generally very tight/technical holes with many trees and trouble off the narrow fairways. The back nine are much more open, but still have some trees/huge bushes to navigate around. Overall, it has a mixture of short, long (none extremely long), left, right, open, wooded, uphill, and downhill.

-Risky pin placements. While only a handful of them, they still keep it interesting. Some are on a hill, some are protected by trees, and one sits atop a 5-6ft cone-like mound of land.

-Beauty. The course is somewhat like a nature hike, more so in the front nine where there is a view of a lake and a picnic table to sit and enjoy it. Even the open holes have their beauty as they go across some rolling hills.

-Tee signs/pads: Excellent in a word. They are large and include distances to both short and long pin placements from both long and short tees. Teepads are concrete and new looking, but just a tad on the small side for my tastes.

-Baskets. Excellent condition. There is also a practice basket just (and I mean just) off the parking lot. Not much room around it, but its there.

-Blind holes. I don't really mind these, but there are just so many of them! After playing this course four times, it is still a pain because I can't exactly remeber where the pin is. This may frustrate first-timers.

-Maintenance. It seems a little unkempt, especially in the summer months. Some fairways had grass that was shin-high or better. It is a relatively new course, so hopefully it will get better with time.

-Sitting areas/trash cans. While there are a few picnic tables in some pretty nice spots, a few more "rest areas" would be nice. There is a good number of trash cans, but they are only 5gal. buckets that were overflowing every time I played here.

I am updating this because after having more than one year of DG experience, I think I can write a better review. The course takes you back to the parking lot after hole 9, which I think is really cool. It comes in handy if you want to restock your drinks, add/remove a layer of clothing, or use the porta-john near the parking lot. I think the porta-john is only a summer thing, as it wasn't there last time I played in early April.
Bugs can be an issue and I won't play here w/o bug spray in the summer.

Very nice course overall. This course has great elevation changes, nice scenery, and a good test to your skill level. The front nine is mostly wooded, the back nine mostly open. Course is well marked with arrows for direction, and has great signs at every hole. Short and long pin positions on every hole keep the course changing throughout the season (check the board by hole 1 for schedule). The pin position on 13 long is one of a kind. Holes 1 and 10 both start by the parking lot for variable play.

This course provides a good challenge and can be very humbling. Many blind shots, high grass, and thick forest. Some areas of the course can be wet and bugs are always hungry here. Some shots might require a spotter.

This course is about an hour away from me (one way), but I think it is worth the drive. I have found it is most enjoyable in spring/late spring. Things can get very overgrown here, and the bugs can be very bad. Course is secluded and spreads out over a great landscape. If it's your first time, go with someone who has played here before. Don't forget to check the board by hole 1 for pin schedule.

Need Long Straight teeshots in a beautiful hilly wooded terrain to survive this outstanding gem hidden in the countryside. The Eagle Scouts did an awsome job!! Donate when you are there.The signs are very informative although a little help to the next tee would not be bad. We were the only car in the parking lot at 11:30am on a Saturday and the only one there when we got ready to leave. We found our way around without too many problems. The tees are well marked and the dual locations for tees and baskets would give this coarse variety and challenge for the locals who play regularly. It is very challenging and well worth the trip to play. Very rarely can you see your intended target, this is not your mama's disc golf coarse!

Just flat out got lost trying to find a couple tees and #17 basket way up on the hill behind the poplars..

Only a few holes give you a look at the basket. Even the long straight holes have the basket tucked in to the left or right in the trees. Save a lot of time by having someone in your party go up ahead and help spot where the other people's discs land. You can get into trouble very easily.

A challenging course with lots of variety Probably 5 short, 3 med, 10 long (really long). Lots of blind tee offs. Good elevation change. Secluded...for now. They have Baskets now.

If you don't know where to go you won't know where to go. no pads yet.

I like pizza. I lost my lighter...I'm freakin out man!