Intro: Here I am, a high school student, visiting the prestigious University of Michigan, with the overall goal of playing some disc golf in the area. Doing research, I knew that Hudson Mills had the right courses for me.

Pros:
This park is possibly the most well manicured course I have ever played. All of the grass was mowed to almost ball golf fairway length, the rough was not super thick, and the trails were well marked.

Navigation was a breeze. There was never a long walk from basket to next tee, and if there was any confusion, there was probably a sign pointing to the next tee. The letter holes were clearly marked with a path and a sign pointing towards it.

The new Innova DiscCatcher baskets were amazing. If the picture of bright, yellow bands and shiny, silver chains does not make you smile, you are probably a psychopath. Seriously.

The teesigns wee both helpful and informative, with helpful information that would prove important, especially for a first time player.

The concrete teepads were of good length and in good shape. Two different pads per hole is very important for me, and they were very nice.

The course itself was mostly well designed. The open holes had a nice use obstacles, so you did have the chance to throw different discs off the tee.

My first con is something that always depends on the person. That is the 10 dollar fee per car, plus 3 per golfer. I personally found the 10 dollar vehicle fee ridiculous, as I was only able to be in the park for about one and a half hours, so I didn't like spending that much money to do one thing. This did not affect my rating.

My second con is the very punishing rough. Man, was it rough. The off fairway grasses were knee high, and I found myself looking for discs that just missed the fairway by less than a couple yards. I did not lose any discs, but that was because of my ridiculously good accuracy. (kidding) The real reason is because we would send spotters down the fairway in order to be sure where the disc would land. This is key.

There was never really a wow factor. There was a lot of land at the park, with some rolling hills and more. However, this course is all par threes. No 800 foot bombs, or 600 foot tree weaving fairways. I felt that this course could have been a bomber's dream, but also a technical nightmare, and could be a 5 star, disc, course. There were no hills either, so there weren't any downhill cliff shots, or uphill skill placements.

There was some repetition present, with some of the open holes blending together, with similar shots off the tee. This probably could not have been avoided due to the setting of the park, but is a con nonetheless.

I thoroughly enjoyed the course here at Hudson Mills. The amount of care and thought that went into the design and upkeep of the park and the disc golf itself is excellent to see. Kudos to the club, the local players, the maintenance crew, and others who keep this course looking great.

I unfortunately did not get to play the so-called monster course while in town on a short visit, but I will be sure to visit here again!

The course is in a beautiful park, and has an additional 24 hole sister course just across the parking lot. A modest pay to play fee is clearly put into the course, with great maintenance and nicely groomed fairways both in the open and in the woods. Dual concrete tees and basic signage are nice, especially since the longer tees often add an extra pinch point or slightly tougher angle to the wooded holes and some extra distance on the more open shots.

There are plenty of tight shots here to test your ability to hit your line. There's enough brush and trees off the fairways to punish errant shots, but there is enough space that you don't always just have to pitch back out to the fairway. There's a nice distance variety, especially with the short and long tees, you'll find some ace runs and some holes where you get to open up and drive a little bit.

The practice hole is a nice touch, you can get some throws in and there's enough room to get in some approaches and putts too. The office has discs and snacks for sale, always a nice touch at a pay to play course.

The first half of the course is mostly open, and has a ton of long grass off the fairways. I'm not a fan of prairie style holes, I personally feel they add frustration for errant shots without really adding any challenge for your next shot. If you like that style disc golf, then this con won't apply to you and you can pretend this course is rated a little higher.

The wooded holes have a lot of straight shots, I would have liked to see just a little more variety in hole shapes to test a few more different line shaping skills. The signage is a little weak, on the handful of holes that aren't straight ahead it's not necessarily clear exactly where the pin is.

Beginners will find the shorter tees to be a reasonable length and challenge level, though the rough can be a bit thick and frustrating at times for newer players. More experienced throwers won't find a ton of different lines to hit, but there are enough trees and rough to make you pay for your mistakes. I enjoyed playing these courses and would definitely recommend a stop.

I don't mind paying to play, especially a reasonable $2 fee at a complex with two nicely maintained courses. It does bother me a little though that there's a park fee and a separate disc golf fee when other amenities that are more expensive to install and maintain are free once you're in the park.

-Upkeep. Very well groomed.
-Challenge. Extremely challenging holes out here.
-Tee Pads. Nice, huge cement tee pads.
-Signs. Nice signs with layout and distance on both tee pads.

Baskets. Mach 3's aren't my favorite.

A very good course for everyone. Highly recommended.

Quite the complete disc golf experience with every amenity you could hope for.

Exceptionally well maintained: neatly mowed fairways, fresh wood chips around all the baskets, spacious dual concrete tee pads, nice tee signs with distance and hole layout for both tee pads, practice basket, score cards w/maps and pencils with erasers. The Park Office/Activity Center where you pay is conveniently located near the parking lot between the Original and Monster courses. Inside you'll find a well stocked snack bar (burgers, fries, chicken fingers, pizza, snack foods, drinks) with clean, comfortable tables and chairs and CLEAN bathrooms (indeed a rarity on on most courses I've played). This is the most welcoming place to play disc golf I know of.

24 holes offer good shot variety. Mostly flat, but moderate changes in terrain come into play on a few holes. Nice mix of long and short holes as well as a nice balance between open fairways and wooded holes. Long and straight will set you up quite well on most holes, but a few fairways definitely favor hyzer or annie/FH drive if you hope to reach the basket for birdies. Holes are well thought out, frequently making good use of trees and bushes as obstacles. While there are a few ace runs, there's plenty to challenge just about any golfer. Holes 12 & 13 are short enough to ace, but take you around a pond to help keep you honest.

The long tees here typically require more control and a tighter line than the short tees (again holes 4, 5, and A-F being exceptions) - not always easy to do when you're trying to get additional distance on your drive. Although they don't offer a different look at the basket, saying the long tees only "add distance" is missing the point as the window you have to hit off the long pads is often pretty narrow, opening up a bit wider beyond the short pads.

Quiet, scenic park setting. This is a multi-use park, but the course is pretty isolated from other park activities.

48 holes (including The Monster) accomodates a lot of golfers, so there's hardly ever any waiting here - nice to be able to play at your own pace.

Not a lot to knock here, but these are the facts:

Straying off the fairways can cause more grief here than other area courses. Thick, 2-3 ft high grass off the open fairways is excellent at hiding discs, even bright colors and white. Can't imagine searching for fly-died drivers in those amber waves. Trees and brush off some of the other holes can cost you a stroke or a disc as well.

Holes 4 & 5, as well as supplemental holes A-F, can get monotonous.

A couple of baskets are mounted a bit low, causing an awkward adjustment for some.

Navigation can be a bit tricky in a few spots for first timers, even with the scorecard map.

More and greater elevation changes would add some dimesion to the course (admittedly, not much they could do about that).

Never seen one on the course, but the park does warn that the only poisonus snake in Michigan lives here: the Massasauga rattlesnake, ranging from 18"-30" in length. Spends summer in drier areas, it prefers the wetlands the remaining part of the year. Just thought you should know...

Without doubt, Hudson Mills is one of southeast Michigan's premier disc golfing experiences, and is more accommodating to DG'ers than any place I've been to. How about Disc Golf Appreciation Day (6/26/11), with events and prizes just for DG'ers?

This is a large, challenging course that penalizes you for going off the fairway (but not too severly on many holes). Even if you only play 18, there are no quick rounds here, so take your time and make a day of it. Enjoy the course and the scenery, come back to the Activity Center to grab a bite and recharge... then get ready for big brother - it's called The Monster for a reason.

Worth way more than the $2/day they charge to play here.

1. Beautifully manicured. The mandatory "pay-to-play" at this pair of courses really seems to be put to good use, with well-defined fairways and landing areas, and rough that's not too rough.
2. Variety. What this course lacks in extreme elevation, it makes up for with some unique holes and plenty of trees.
3. Dual tees. I played from longs and my wife played shorts, and I could really tell a difference in how the hole could/should be played between the two tees. The longs don't just add distance, but frequently change the whole look and feel of the hole.
4. Level concrete tees. Truly a benefit for any course to have!
5. 18- or 24-hole option. If you can't squeeze in the extra 6, you have the option after Hole #4 to simply continue on and play the classic 18.

1. Hole #s A-F (the extra 6) were a bit too open and similar to really add to the course. I was almost upset that the course wasn't going to be as fun as I'd expected on the Front 12, but my fears were quickly allayed upon entering the wooded holes (and subsequently losing a disc in the stagnant pond!).
2. Inconsistent basket installation. I like uniformity when I'm playing a course, and this one just doesn't have it. The variation in basket height can really throw off your game, or at least it does to mine! Too many missed birdies and pars because of this, but I guess I just need to adjust from hole to hole.
3. The tee signs leave a LOT to be desired. I particularly liked the wood-carved design, but would prefer a tad more information--like, WHERE'S THE PIN?! Too many holes I had to scout ahead just to be sure, although doglegs are indicated on the signs.

This is a great course, and I regret not being able to play both courses on the grounds while I was out here (I don't get to this part of Michigan very often, so I'll have to wait at least a few months before playing and reviewing the Monster course). It's definitely worth the $4 for parking and $2/person to play (all day, not per round!), and if you get the chance, make sure to check out CJ's on Territorial Road a few miles before the course...they have an AMAZING selection of DG supplies and equipment!

UPDATE: I'm adjusting my rating just slightly down to a 3.5. It's not that I've grown to like the course LESS since I've played it, but I've played many more courses and with this larger sample I've decided to revise a few of my more generous ratings.

Great setup out in Dexter. They have two courses, with the parking lot in between. Practice hole (not just a basket) to get you warmed up before the full twenty-four. All holes are well marked with the pertinent information DGers need. The first half of the course wanders through a giant field of tall grass, with the fairways mowed through. The back half takes you into the woods and is by far the crown jewel of this course. Elevation changes and a stream come into play here, challenging you to finish your round with technique as well as power.

The first half of the course is OK. I mean, this park is really kept up and I have no complains, but it just seemed like holes 4-9 (including the 6 bones holes) were all the same. I would have liked to see some par numbers on the signs as well. Again, I'm nitpicking, because I really have nothing bad to say about this course. A park official followed us around for a couple holes (creepy). Maybe he's a voyeur.

This course is a hike out to the middle of nowhere - playing both this one and the monster is well worth the drive. There is a four dollar per car fee to get into the park and then two bucks for a wristband that lets you play. A dollar a course ain't so bad, and I'm sure it goes to pay the landscapers. Check this course out before summer's end.

really fun course. it has a wide variety of holes with a good layout. everyone i met was really nice. played with a few of the A3 (local disc club) guys and they were really cool. pretty easy to get to.

pay to play, but the course is worth it.

great course but i still couldn't give it a rating of 5, but 4 is still really good. didn't get a chance to play the monster course but hear that is sweet also.