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Kensington Black Locust - Green reviews
10
0
Giving you a green light to check out this Toboggan complement!
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Oct 1, 2023
Played the course:once
Pros:
The Kensington Black Locust - Green course is one of three at Kensington Metropark northwest of Detroit. It shares a parking lot with the Black Locust - Blue course, and the Kensington Toboggan course used for DGLO each year is about a 10 minute drive away in the opposite corner of the park. Unlike Toboggan, both Black Locust courses are open year round. The courses are very similar, so a lot of this review will be copy/pasted to/from the Blue course.
This course is well designed and requires a wide range of throws to score well. Fairways range from relatively wide with thick rough on each side, to tightly wooded. #5 may be the tightest here, and requires hitting one of a couple of tight lines off the tee. #17 has one of the wider fairways, playing along a big sweeping 90 degree right turn. The elevation changes on this side of the park are nothing extreme like Toboggan, but plenty to keep things interesting. My favorite hole was #11, which has an S-shaped fairway that plays down and up two different wooded valleys. Unlike the Blue course, there aren't any water hazards on this Green course.
The baskets are what I think is lime green painted Chainstar Pros. I know that they are great. One per hole.
The tee pads are concrete and SO LONG. Some holes have two tees (long + short), and the rest just a single tee. In contrast with the Blue course, it looked like some of the long tees here also offered a different look at the basket than the short tees (versus just stretching out the distance a bit). Regardless of chosen tee, the distances here are nowhere near the grueling marathon of Toboggan but will be plenty to challenge most players. They seemed to be generally slightly longer than those on the Blue course. After a long day playing Toboggan and the Blue course, I was happy to throw from the short tees here and found them to be plenty challenging for my noodle arm.
The tee signs appear at each tee and are green colored as well. They are adequate - with a simple hole number/distance, indication of both tee locations when present, and a rough hole layout. I'd like to see the pars listed on these, and found myself missing them a bit more than on the Blue course due to the longer holes. Periodic trash cans and benches complete the tee areas.
There are two separate practice basket areas near the parking lot, as well as a porta potty. A kiosk including a large map of both the Blue and Green course is posted near the first tee.
This course is well designed and requires a wide range of throws to score well. Fairways range from relatively wide with thick rough on each side, to tightly wooded. #5 may be the tightest here, and requires hitting one of a couple of tight lines off the tee. #17 has one of the wider fairways, playing along a big sweeping 90 degree right turn. The elevation changes on this side of the park are nothing extreme like Toboggan, but plenty to keep things interesting. My favorite hole was #11, which has an S-shaped fairway that plays down and up two different wooded valleys. Unlike the Blue course, there aren't any water hazards on this Green course.
The baskets are what I think is lime green painted Chainstar Pros. I know that they are great. One per hole.
The tee pads are concrete and SO LONG. Some holes have two tees (long + short), and the rest just a single tee. In contrast with the Blue course, it looked like some of the long tees here also offered a different look at the basket than the short tees (versus just stretching out the distance a bit). Regardless of chosen tee, the distances here are nowhere near the grueling marathon of Toboggan but will be plenty to challenge most players. They seemed to be generally slightly longer than those on the Blue course. After a long day playing Toboggan and the Blue course, I was happy to throw from the short tees here and found them to be plenty challenging for my noodle arm.
The tee signs appear at each tee and are green colored as well. They are adequate - with a simple hole number/distance, indication of both tee locations when present, and a rough hole layout. I'd like to see the pars listed on these, and found myself missing them a bit more than on the Blue course due to the longer holes. Periodic trash cans and benches complete the tee areas.
There are two separate practice basket areas near the parking lot, as well as a porta potty. A kiosk including a large map of both the Blue and Green course is posted near the first tee.
Cons:
There isn't any navigational signage. The correct paths between holes are well established, but these could be harder to distinguish at certain times of year (e.g. after leaves are down, or in the winter). Also, while there are easy ways to play fewer than 18 holes here none of them are pointed out so you'd have to use the map on the kiosk (or UDisc) to figure that out.
This course has a lot of fun holes, but most of them didn't really stand out to me. If it weren't for my written notes, even the ones briefly mentioned above might have already faded from my memory as I write this only 11 days later. Perhaps this is partially just because the holes here were inevitably crowded out of my mind by the epic scale of the ones on Toboggan.
Road noise from I-96 just outside the park detracts from the experience. This course is closer to I-96 than the blue course, so the road noise is more noticeable.
This course has a lot of fun holes, but most of them didn't really stand out to me. If it weren't for my written notes, even the ones briefly mentioned above might have already faded from my memory as I write this only 11 days later. Perhaps this is partially just because the holes here were inevitably crowded out of my mind by the epic scale of the ones on Toboggan.
Road noise from I-96 just outside the park detracts from the experience. This course is closer to I-96 than the blue course, so the road noise is more noticeable.
Other Thoughts:
The total cost to play this course is $13. There is a charge of $10 for a park day pass (payable at the park entrance), plus a separate $3/day disc golf fee (payable at a trailer near the first tee). Credit cards are accepted in both places. The $3 gets you a wristband that allows you to play both Black Locust courses. However, if visiting when Toboggan is open you can get a $5 wristband at that course's parking lot that will also cover you at Black Locust - so if you have the time and energy to tackle all three courses in one day as I did, I would strongly recommend starting with Toboggan (both to save money, and to hit the hardest and best course first).
This Green course and the Blue one are very similar overall. The main difference with this Green course is that the fairways are a bit longer - and maybe also very slightly wider - on average. The small differences are not enough for me to rate the courses differently. They are both solid 3.5's in my book.
This course is not only a great complement to Toboggan, but a solid play on its own. Even if Toboggan is closed or not your speed, visiting Kensington Metropark and playing the two Black Locust courses makes for a fun afternoon of disc golfing and is well worth the $13!
This Green course and the Blue one are very similar overall. The main difference with this Green course is that the fairways are a bit longer - and maybe also very slightly wider - on average. The small differences are not enough for me to rate the courses differently. They are both solid 3.5's in my book.
This course is not only a great complement to Toboggan, but a solid play on its own. Even if Toboggan is closed or not your speed, visiting Kensington Metropark and playing the two Black Locust courses makes for a fun afternoon of disc golfing and is well worth the $13!
7
0
Course to Test your abilities 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Mar 19, 2019
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
Being a local to this course is great, This is the tougher of the two courses on the property with a few true par 4s to test your decision making abilities. This is the course I choose when I'm looking to challenge my abilities. The length and punishing rough of this course make staying on the fairway a priority. consistent and well placed shots will allow you to shine on this course.
List Format:
- Concrete Tees, long and good grip
- New brightly colored baskets!
- Many holes have short and long tees (Short tees are still in progress)
- Many tables/benches on the old 9 holes, new holes could use some seating
- Simple Navigation
- Dedicated Parking lot
- Practice Baskets
- Course Maps available
- Variety of holes and good use of available elevation
- True Par 4s that allow for balancing risk/reward in placement shots
- frequent garbage cans
- Part of a larger park that has a beach, water park, over 8 miles of trails, playground, etc.
List Format:
- Concrete Tees, long and good grip
- New brightly colored baskets!
- Many holes have short and long tees (Short tees are still in progress)
- Many tables/benches on the old 9 holes, new holes could use some seating
- Simple Navigation
- Dedicated Parking lot
- Practice Baskets
- Course Maps available
- Variety of holes and good use of available elevation
- True Par 4s that allow for balancing risk/reward in placement shots
- frequent garbage cans
- Part of a larger park that has a beach, water park, over 8 miles of trails, playground, etc.
Cons:
The rough is really thick and thorny on the new holes. Many of the holes would benefit from a spotter during the summer. The thick growth and twisting fairways lead to a lot of shots landing out of sight. Some of the holes still play along barbed wire fencing and you can stumble upon some remains of barbed wire in the rough, be careful!
- Thick rough
- A few teepads built near hills, big drops off front/back of tee
- for paying to play, its not clear that the money is put back into the course
- Course gets crowded on nice days(but that's because its a great course)
- Thick rough
- A few teepads built near hills, big drops off front/back of tee
- for paying to play, its not clear that the money is put back into the course
- Course gets crowded on nice days(but that's because its a great course)
Other Thoughts:
Half the holes on this course are very new and that is reflected in the level of rough you see off the fairways. As this course is played for a full season it will be interesting to see how it handles all 4 seasons of weather. Playing this course through winter gave me a lot of insight compared to playing it last Fall. I look forward to many more rounds on this course.
What it would take to increase the rating:
- A little more work cleaning up the rough on the new holes
- Several muddy spots and packed dirt fairways make me worry about potential erosion
- Next tee signs are always a nice touch
- Tee signs could be more informative
What it would take to increase the rating:
- A little more work cleaning up the rough on the new holes
- Several muddy spots and packed dirt fairways make me worry about potential erosion
- Next tee signs are always a nice touch
- Tee signs could be more informative
5
2
waterhyzerd
Experience:
125 played
20 reviews
Wasted Potential 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Aug 11, 2018
Played the course:5+ times
Other Thoughts:
Objectively speaking, this course is "very good" as the 3.5 rating suggests. Assuming it does indeed get outfitted with the new chainstar pros this decade, it also has the typical generous metropark teepads and adequate markers making for a nicely outfitted course equipment-wise. The land is well-spaced with mostly gently rolling hills and defined fairways. Navigation is very easy. In it's current configuration (assuming the "new" holes current teepads are the long teepads), this is a very solid and enjoyable intermediate/advanced course.
end objectivity
As a local, i'm extremely disappointed with the final product of this course. I started playing DG at the OG tunnel course. Then around 2010 it was reconfigured into 27 holes, highlighted by the very challenging back 19-27. The old back nine is/was a perfect foundation for a professional/championship caliber course (eg Moraine state park in PA), a concept that this area is so agonizingly slow to adopt. Black Locust Green could have realistically and instantly been atop the very short list of big, challenging courses in the state of Michigan. Instead, we got a bunch of nice(meh) new holes to water down the existing "old" back nine. Every single new hole (6 thru 15) is in the woods, yet the designers decided to take out nearly every tree in the fairways. The only true wooded hole is the short par 4 11th, featuring no less than 25ft gaps down the entire fairway. All other new additions are wide open, leaving little to no room for creativity and/or risk/reward.
I wasn't expecting a masochistic product like Idlewild or holes filled with poorly defined fairways requiring too much luck. But the majority of these new additions are far too soft, either from a pure distance perspective or as mentioned previously, a severe lack of obstacles in the fairway. This course as is, could be immediately improved if most if not all of the currently poured teepads become the short teepads. Rotating pin placements could also improve this layout, but that concept is also frustratingly not embraced in this state. I will be hopeful and happy to adjust this review and score if anything improves.
end objectivity
As a local, i'm extremely disappointed with the final product of this course. I started playing DG at the OG tunnel course. Then around 2010 it was reconfigured into 27 holes, highlighted by the very challenging back 19-27. The old back nine is/was a perfect foundation for a professional/championship caliber course (eg Moraine state park in PA), a concept that this area is so agonizingly slow to adopt. Black Locust Green could have realistically and instantly been atop the very short list of big, challenging courses in the state of Michigan. Instead, we got a bunch of nice(meh) new holes to water down the existing "old" back nine. Every single new hole (6 thru 15) is in the woods, yet the designers decided to take out nearly every tree in the fairways. The only true wooded hole is the short par 4 11th, featuring no less than 25ft gaps down the entire fairway. All other new additions are wide open, leaving little to no room for creativity and/or risk/reward.
I wasn't expecting a masochistic product like Idlewild or holes filled with poorly defined fairways requiring too much luck. But the majority of these new additions are far too soft, either from a pure distance perspective or as mentioned previously, a severe lack of obstacles in the fairway. This course as is, could be immediately improved if most if not all of the currently poured teepads become the short teepads. Rotating pin placements could also improve this layout, but that concept is also frustratingly not embraced in this state. I will be hopeful and happy to adjust this review and score if anything improves.
5
0
Challenging and Fun! 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Jul 8, 2018
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
Kensington Metropark is a huge, wonderful park for everybody, not just disc golfers. There are beaches, trails, a ball golf course. The park is well worth the 35 dollar pass if you are in the area, even if you don't disc golf.
The newer course at Kensington Metropark is a beast, with challenging par 3s, and a few par 4s. all forcing accuracy and distance from the long tees. A good mix of lefty and righty backhand shots, as well as elevation.
Each of the new holes has a solo concrete tee pad, but will soon have a short pad, while the "old" nine holes have a short and long tee. In the coming weeks, each hole will have a brand new green Chainstar Pro, a basket I believe catches very well.
The holes that are brand new, are superbly designed, and play extremely challenging. From the long tees, a round at par is rated 960. It's really hard to get under par.
The newer course at Kensington Metropark is a beast, with challenging par 3s, and a few par 4s. all forcing accuracy and distance from the long tees. A good mix of lefty and righty backhand shots, as well as elevation.
Each of the new holes has a solo concrete tee pad, but will soon have a short pad, while the "old" nine holes have a short and long tee. In the coming weeks, each hole will have a brand new green Chainstar Pro, a basket I believe catches very well.
The holes that are brand new, are superbly designed, and play extremely challenging. From the long tees, a round at par is rated 960. It's really hard to get under par.
Cons:
This course has very few cons, but it is not perfect.
The rough eats discs. There is no OB on the course, but the rough plays just as hard as OB, costing you at least a stroke to get out.
This also means that losing discs is a huge possibility. Having spotters on this course come in handy very often, as there are lots of blind shots and tricky tree kicks to follow.
The tee signs are wood posts with a low detail map and distance. They were just good enough to get you by, but I wish they were the best, to go along with the course.
A few holes are somewhat lackluster, and a little repetitive. The 330-360 foot lefty shot comes into play a few times, and there are also a few 3-4 score tweeners.
The rough eats discs. There is no OB on the course, but the rough plays just as hard as OB, costing you at least a stroke to get out.
This also means that losing discs is a huge possibility. Having spotters on this course come in handy very often, as there are lots of blind shots and tricky tree kicks to follow.
The tee signs are wood posts with a low detail map and distance. They were just good enough to get you by, but I wish they were the best, to go along with the course.
A few holes are somewhat lackluster, and a little repetitive. The 330-360 foot lefty shot comes into play a few times, and there are also a few 3-4 score tweeners.
Other Thoughts:
This course is definitely a great addition to the park, and I am very excited that it was used for the DGLO. I would love to come back and play this course and tournament again, as the work and dedication to disc golf in Southeast Michigan is second to none!
