Peru, IN

Honey Bear Hollow Campgrounds

3.335(based on 20 reviews)
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11 0
MrFrosty
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 31.1 years 764 played 387 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fun Classic Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 30, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

Parking for the course is at the mobile trailer looking building near the entrance to the grounds . The people that run this campground are friendly and helpful I paid my fee and took the map to where the course was with me . Once on the course , you won't ever need to look at a map . Except for a couple of dropped trees , the course was in good shape when I played . There were some older benches at some of the holes .and big trash cans all over . The course ( ca. 1978 ) plays very short through the woods for the original 18 , but has some elevation to it .
The equipment for this course consists of large cement tee pads ( some cracked ) , Some fun old school signage , and these orange baskets ( Mach II ? ) that are rusting out but work fine . I doubt that you could get lost on this course because of all of the people playing on it . The first hole is to your left after you enter the woods . It is a double mando to start you off . The next 2 holes are short but are risk/reward as the right side of the fairway drops was off , especially where the basket is located . The course winds kind of clockwise around this woods , which is nice , because the woods is very captivating looking . Some interesting basket placements on the course . One of the few Ed Headrick course left in the world , it plays tight and technical . Most experienced players will only need a couple of midranges and a putter for this course , but challenge is not what this course is all about . You are playing on the oldest course in Indiana .
The people that run the campground added an extra 6 holes just down the road and to the left of where you exit the woods . It is open and a couple of holes might be fun for you (B & C ? ) . One hole has a basket lower than the tee and guarded by some small trees and the other has a treeline running on the left , wide open on the right , and some trees near the basket . All the rest are open and easy .

Disc Risk : Very low . Unless you leave your putter in the basket or you throw a disc that's color matches the dirt or is camouflage , you aren't going to lose one .
If you do happen to lose one , or just want to look at some up to date discs , the trailer doubles as a pro shop that they say is well stocked . I can't really say that there is a signature hole here , but a lot of fun throws . Bet your friends on closest to the pin drives . There is a hole around 9 that drops down to a basket where the green is flanked by a creek that also sits behind the basket . Would be perfect for an island hole . The course ends with an uphill par 5 , 282' .drive . The pars will make you laugh , but remember that most were throwing Wham o Frisbees and coffee can lids at these baskets . Just think . You can brag to your friends that you aced a par 4 or 5 hole . This is an ace or at least birdie fest . Many people congregate at the parking lot after their rounds .
It took me a little over an hour to play the full 24 holes , only because of the human traffic jams at the tee pads . Figure a group of 4 about 2+ hours . especially during peak times .

Cons:

Safety : with many first time players , camping families and one disc wonders out there on a crowded course , I can see someone getting hit pretty easily . Remember where you are and be aware of your surroundings .
Some are griping about the equipment , mainly cracked tee pads and especially the rusty chained baskets . I personally think that it adds that much more character to the course .
If I had a problem with the course other than too many players on here at once , it is that it will get muddy after good long rains . On a mostly dirt course , this spells sliding and maybe falling . Wear boots if you have them while here .

Other Thoughts:

Any time you play the oldest course in the state , it is historic . The woman at the pro shop that took my money ( uh oh . I hope she wasn't just a camper ) was telling someone that even though they weren't around for the beginning of this course , it hasn't ever been altered . WOW ! If you like seeing almost exactly what players saw and threw to in the 70's , this course is a must play .Challenging ? Uh , No Accommodating ? Not that either . They should make a vine tunnel going into and exiting the woods to make you feel that you have been transported back in time to play a course that was designed by the man that invented the disc golf game just 2 years prior . Special thanks to Steady Ed Headrick and the people that run Honey Bear Hollow Camp Grounds for designing and preserving this disc golf relic .Make sure you stop by the pro shop if you have time to check out the disc line and talk disc golf with the owners .
My Recommendation . I won't even divide it up . This course shoul be played by every disc golfer living in Indiana , and many just camping or in the area from surrounding states . Play This Course And Enjoy The History Lesson
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8 0
Kaselier
Experience: 6.7 years 4 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Overrated but classic. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 15, 2019 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

---Very beautiful property
Lots of woods and a nice walk. There is a nice amount of terrain.

---Decent variety
As any older course, a lot of holes demand a very specific line. This is no exception. There are no long holes (I'll touch on that later). If you are handy with a putter and midrange and have a few angles under your belt you wont be having much trouble. Most variety comes from interesting hills, not shot shape. But overall lots of fun, short little holes.

---Pro shop
You gotta love a pro shop. I love to support the disc golf scene and i'm glad to have a pro shop around. Serious bonus to the north central Indiana DG community.

Cons:

---Terrain
This course has no grass, and can definitely get unplayably muddy in the spring. I don't recommend a cart because of some annoyingly steep hills and lots of ruts, although it's definitely possible.

---Back 6
The back six aren't necessarily a joke, however I would not recommend playing them more than once. They are completely different feel than the rest of the course, and I have never heard anyone say they really enjoy them. Play them once and don't bother more than that. I'm never in the mood to play 18 tight wooded holes and then play 6 wide open holes.

Other Thoughts:

This course isn't bad, but it's not amazing. I'm not trying to downplay the amazing history of the course. Regardless of the quality of the course you should absolutely visit for the history and pro shop alone. But that being said, I think it's just good. Some locals who grew up playing this course come to others in the state talking like this is a 5/5 course and every other one sucks, but I just can't agree. The course and equipment is old, and it just does not play like a modern course.That isn't a bad thing, but having played a lot of different courses I just can't say it exceeds expectations.

Nobody takes the back 6 seriously, so I did not factor it into my score. You should definitely play this at least once, but I wont blame you for feeling fully satisfied afterwords. But please support the pro shop, they deserve it.
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10 0
dr.chainslove
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 25 years 335 played 42 reviews
3.00 star(s)

The Idlewild of 1978? 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 17, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

If you haven't noticed, this is one of the coveted historic Steady Ed courses and the first course installed in Indiana circa 1978. I had some preconceived notions coming into this after playing several other Steady Ed monuments. I expected 18 holes of putter/mid-only fun ace runs through the woods. Nope! Despite its short length, Honey Bear has all kinds of challenge and was most likely even more difficult in its earlier days (curators said fallen trees in the last several decades has opened it up). Overall, I enjoyed the drastic elevation changes and tight lines I found here.

There's a well-stocked pro shop for starters. The folks that run this place took over in 1991. They told me that the original layout has not been altered (awesome!) with the exception of the aforementioned occasional fallen trees. You'll have plenty of danger to encounter like steep drop-offs near baskets (ex, holes 2 and 3), early trees to miss, and elevation to manage. Yes, the modern 900ish rated player should expect to finish under posted par here but carding a few 4s or 5s are definitely possible. Compared to many of the late 70s, early 80s courses I've played, Honey Bear seems like it was extremely technical and tight for its time. Dare I say it was Idlewild-tough for the 1970s frisbee throwers!

Cons:

If your time is short, I'd pass on the extra holes after the original 18. They're OK but are largely open field shots with just a few obstacles.

Although fairways are pretty wide and clean, any big tree kicks will toss you into some poison ivy zones.

It was nice and dry here for me but I'd imagine some waterlogged, soupy fairways in the low spots after a heavy rain.

There are several original Mach baskets here (history!) and also some newer incarnations with chain/basket upgrades spread throughout. Certainly not a consistent standard across the board. I love the old-school signs but they're absent on some holes.

Hole 3 has an active beehive in the tree directly next to the tee (character, right!?). I elected to throw a little to the side to avoid.

Other Thoughts:

Anyone who appreciates disc golf history needs to play here. I was pleasantly surprised that this course, despite it's short length, still challenges the modern disc golfer to this day. I often stood at the tee wondering what kind of strategy the 1970s disc golfers would employ on each hole.
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5 0
notapro
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.8 years 569 played 284 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Beginner/Intermediate 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 4, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Course is mostly set in a forested area of the campground, with no interference to be found. Last 6 holes in the open are pretty close to the camp areas, so there can definitely be some conflict there.
- Holes in the forest provide a good variety of lines. There are obvious hyzers, anhyzers, and straight shots, of varying length. Most of the lines are dead ahead, but there are enough trees to keep these interesting as well.
- Constant elevation changes to be found in the forest, which really makes things interesting. A lot of fun downhill shots, as well as some blind uphill shots that make some holes play a lot longer. Off the fairways, some treacherous gulches are present to punish errant shots. Some of these are pretty deep and present the biggest challenge.
- Good variety in hole length, albeit all are on the shorter side. A lot of ace runs to be found here, for sure, but some of the longer uphill holes need some decent length for a good chance at a deuce. Holes outside of the forest are longer, overall, and allow for some longer rips. Still nothing that would challenge bigger arms.
- Signage is pretty good other than some questionable distances. Baskets are good, teepads can be a little slippery but work fine. Navigation pretty easy, finding hole #1 and #19 might be tricky (#19-#24 don't have signs, just cones).

Cons:

- Old school design means old school hole lengths, so this place is primed for some putter rounds or true beginners. Extremely fun for superclass or putters though! Not too much challenge other than the occasional gulch, pretty much.
- Holes in the open are pretty brainless, basically zero or one tree to contend with on any of them.

Other Thoughts:

- Course definitely values fun over challenge, usually it will boil down to whether you got a 2 or 3 on the hole. Real beginners might find some of the shots tricky, but any experienced player should be able to hit almost every line. Grab your slowest discs and relive the good old days!
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6 0
swatso
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.8 years 755 played 414 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Shaping Up 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 11, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Well-stocked shop. Plenty of shade from the tall trees, which also minimizes the undergrowth.

Cons:

Overflowing trash cans.

Other Thoughts:

The core eighteen holes are set on the ridges, in the furrows, and on the slopes of this gently-rolling landscape, which is covered with large, old-growth trees. With an average length around 215', topping out at 285', control, vice power, is needed from the tee. Two tee locations per hole - one with a long-n-wide concrete teepad, the other natural with two small posts in the ground.

Nothing extreme here - the lines to hit, for the most part, are fairly generous, and errant throws are not overly punished, as the shule is minimal and the ridges not very long nor steep. Even-blend of left/right/straight shots needed from the tee, with a fair mix of slight down/up/no elevation changes.

The extra six holes are open and flat, and only take a few minutes to play on the way back to the car. Look for the white cones designating the tee areas, and the day we played, basket-20 was to the left - the basket straight ahead was #23.

Bombers and/or uber-technicians can't scratch their particular itch here, but the course is well-suited for players to work on their shot-shaping, without severely punishing them if they fail.
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8 0
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.2 years 831 played 777 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fun old school course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 26, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course plays mostly through tight woods with really limited underbrush. The trees are thick enough to make you hit your lines or try to shoot through dense trunks, but you won't lose discs on errant shots or bad kicks. There are enough minor elevation changes to add some challenge and fun, and a few pins are near ravines adding some risk at the greens. There is a nice mix of left and right turning holes to keep things interesting and make you hit some different lines.

There are two sets of tees, and rather than one long and one short, they mix it up so they are more like just an alternate set. One set is nice concrete with basic tee signs showing hole layout and distance. The other set are natural, but are pretty flat and marked with orange survey tape so they're easy to find.

Cons:

The main 18 holes are very short, nearly every hole is reachable with a putter, and the rest are reachable with a mid. This makes it get a little repetitive, every hole is short and through a tight alley in the woods. The added 6 holes have a little more length, but are wide open and pretty boring, and don't have any tee pads or signage, just small orange cones and portable style baskets.

The alternate tees are a fun idea to mix things up a little, but they are a bit rutted and don't seem to get much play. some don't really offer a different line, they're right in front of or behind the concrete pad. The baskets are aging, and don't catch all that well any more. The campground allows dogs, but they aren't allowed on the course, seems a little odd.

Other Thoughts:

This course has a nice old school feel with some fun shots through the woods. If you're on your game and throwing accurately, every hole is a chance for a birdie, but if your drives are off you'll be shooting out of the woods a lot. There isn't enough challenge to test better players, and the variety is a little lacking, but newer players will be pushed to learn different shots without too much punishment or length. If you're in the area, this one's worth a stop, and it looked like a nice place to camp too.
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1 5
oxalate
Experience: 22.8 years 107 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Indiana's Oldest Course? 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 7, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Other Thoughts:

Pitch & Putt course, but still a lot of fun to play. If you are trying to decide which of the Peru courses to play and you are a bit experienced & looking for a challenge, try Mississinewa and Pieradise. If you are more of a recreational player, then Honey Bear is the right choice.
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15 1
zud00
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.8 years 199 played 47 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fun and Scenic 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 18, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Very well maintained, nice concrete tee pads, nice facilities, excellent pro shop.

Cons:

Baskets seemed a little old, but they are still in pretty good shape. The baskets/chains/poles are all painted orange-I guess that makes it a bit easier to see.

Other Thoughts:

I really liked this course and thought it was definitley worth the 45 minute drive. This course is laid out through thick woods with ravines and valleys. There are many elevation changing holes which make for some fun shots. Even though there are so many trees, there is nearly always a clear path for a disc from the teepad to the basket. Most of the holes are short; several were under 250 feet, but the trees made it seem like over 300 feet. There are tee signs marking the length of each hole as well as a picture of the hole. A bench at every teepad made it nice to have a seat and catch your breath after climbing the hills from the previous holes. The proshop has a very nice selection of discs. It only costs $2 to play all day. I really enjoyed this course and plan on coming back.

***EDIT***
This was originally my first course review. After playing and reviewing many more courses since first writing this review, I have different thoughts on this course as far as ratings go. This is a fun course, but mostly short. It is challening, but short. It is enjoyable and very beginner friendly and would recommend anyone to play this course. This course is a solid 3 in my opinion rather than a 4 I originally rated it.
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