Like DC's cherry blossoms in spring and fall foliage in New England and Kid Rock's summertime in Northern Michigan, there are some things that are special because you can't always enjoy them. Hunt's Mean 18 is in that group. Unless you're paying to rent out the majestic castle (the owner built a castle in the 90s, which is awesome in its own right), your only chance to play the course is for the September NEFA tournament here.

It is a blast from the past. The tee signs are faded and ancient (in disc golf terms, anyway). You've probably only seen that type of sign in a municipal park in a city that embraced disc golf decades ago. The holes are all short, with nothing over 320 feet.

Perhaps the best part is the people who think that -since the holes are all short - they can just bring their putters here. Hahahaha. Yep. You do that. This is a tough course, and in the tournament no one shot under 50, and most rounds were nowhere within sniffing distance of par. The angles aren't always natural. The lines are fair but tight. The elevation changes are dramatic. The chances for horrible rollaways are everywhere. I threw an uphill thumber on one hole that landed on its side and rolled a long way. It was bad shot selection that was punished justly.

There are a lot of fun holes here. Hole 14 is maybe 200 feet but straight up with two different lines to take, the shorter one being much steeper. Holes 7 and 17 are downhill forehand routes that could be ace runs, but you better understand exactly when your disc will fade when it's going downhill. Hole 18 is one of the few with OB and has a guardian inlet of the reservoir 20 feet before the basket. This fairway is a slight left-to-right turning, downhill shot. It's fun, and it's terrific design.

Navigation is pretty easy. But if you're playing here, you're probably with 90 other people, so there won't be much trouble.

The tee pads are natural and mostly awful. Nearly all of them have roots poking out, so even though you're throwing from a standstill (you really don't have much choice), your footing is awkward.

The design in a few places is odd. Hole 1 virtually demands a boring 80-foot layup drive so you can take a steep uphill shot through the gap to your left. There is a lot of risk and no reward, which makes for a subpar design. I'd rather see the tee pad moved up.

Hole 16 is another weird one. The fairway is a narrow S shape that no normal shot could possibly negotiate, so you throw a boring hyzer dump shot and hope you don't end up being some trees (there is no landing zone) so you can lay up.

A lot of the holes are on top of one another, with tees located maybe 30 feet from the last pin.

If you played this course every week, it might not be as special. But it is cool to walk the fairways, see the moss-covered rocks, and know that virtually no one has been here since you last played it.

If you want into the tournament, you better act fast. It sold out in just over 1 minute this year.

Hunt's Mean 18 is a true disc golf time capsule. As you drive through the narrow gravel road towards the parking area, you are transported back in time, towards disc golf's infancy. A time before things like Blizzard plastic, discs made of rubber, and even the beveled edge driver.

This gives the course a unique feel that is rarely seen on courses today. The entire course emphasizes precise shot placement with very few straight lines available from the tee to the pin.

There is very little repetition here. Every hole has its own unique quirks. There are some nice ace runs and opportunities for players to be aggressive as well as some risk/reward holes where aggressive play can be punished severely.

The fact that this is a closed course for 51 weeks of the year creates an almost untouched feel to the landscape. Free of litter and vandalism, nature dominates out here, with moss covering the landscape and a small creek running through the course ever so peacefully.

In a lot of ways, this course is a novelty. It highlights some of the key aspects that made the game of disc golf great in its infancy, but lacks some of what makes it popular today. There are no chances for big arms to really open up and power players are likely to get incredibly frustrated here.

There are some holes that, in today's game, are considered uninteresting. Particularly two-shot putter holes. While these do test a particular skill, they struggle to create score separation unless players try to be too aggressive expecting to be able to park every hole under 300 feet.

Enjoy this course for what it is. It's a journey back in time with fun disc golf emphasizing precise line-shaping. For the most part, the throws required here are fun. There is just something about watching a mid or putter glide through the exact line you were looking for. Don't try to overplay the course and it will show you how much fun disc golf was before drivers were even invented.

Obviously there are aspects of today's game that are missing here, but changing the course for that would be a travesty. This is a well-preserved piece of disc golf history that everyone should enjoy when they have the chance.