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Northwoods Christian Camp reviews
11
0
Adequate disc golf and a cool Mackinac Bridge look-alike in the Northwoods
Reviewed:
Played on:Aug 15, 2023
Played the course:once
Pros:
Northwoods Christian Camp is set well off of the beaten path in a rural area of the far eastern UP. The camp seasonally offers 12 holes of beginner-friendly disc golf.
The course starts in a lightly wooded meadow and makes its way into a more open field, and finally down to a small inland lake (actually more like a wide bit of a river). My favorite holes were a couple in the first section of the course, which are set up to require a little bit of shot shaping around the scattered old growth tree trunks. Later in the course, #8 plays down a narrowing fairway with a marshy area on the left and the river/lake on the right. #9 plays in the opposite direction with the river/lake on the left. The hole distances range from about 200' to about 500', so combined with the mostly open terrain it's a fine setup for recreational campers and recreational disc golfers alike.
The baskets are OK. They are some portable model that I could not identify - but they were mounted level, and in good condition.
There is a small kiosk at the parking lot that has maps, scorecards/pencils, and a donation box on it.
More memorable to me than any of the disc golf here was a walking bridge over the river/lake - apparently connecting the main camp to some additional buildings on the far side of the water. This bridge seemed to be constructed and painted to look like a miniature version of the Mackinac Bridge. I stopped for a couple of minutes to admire this bit of architecture.
The course starts in a lightly wooded meadow and makes its way into a more open field, and finally down to a small inland lake (actually more like a wide bit of a river). My favorite holes were a couple in the first section of the course, which are set up to require a little bit of shot shaping around the scattered old growth tree trunks. Later in the course, #8 plays down a narrowing fairway with a marshy area on the left and the river/lake on the right. #9 plays in the opposite direction with the river/lake on the left. The hole distances range from about 200' to about 500', so combined with the mostly open terrain it's a fine setup for recreational campers and recreational disc golfers alike.
The baskets are OK. They are some portable model that I could not identify - but they were mounted level, and in good condition.
There is a small kiosk at the parking lot that has maps, scorecards/pencils, and a donation box on it.
More memorable to me than any of the disc golf here was a walking bridge over the river/lake - apparently connecting the main camp to some additional buildings on the far side of the water. This bridge seemed to be constructed and painted to look like a miniature version of the Mackinac Bridge. I stopped for a couple of minutes to admire this bit of architecture.
Cons:
The camp road is in play on holes 2, 3, 5, and 6. Some tees are pretty much right at the previous basket. There is a canoe storage building in hole 8's fairway. All of these are line-of-sight fortunately, and if you are a member of the general public playing this course it's more likely that the place will be deserted than busy (there wasn't a soul in sight when I visited). But - for campers trying to play when people are around, I imagine several holes are commonly unplayable due to multi-use issues.
The course is mostly flat and pretty open, and won't present much challenge to better disc golfers.
The tees are natural and are marked only by small stones/plates embedded into the grass. They have the hole number and par. I could not find the marking for the 9th or 10th tee. At some tees, there is also a separate sign with a Bible verse. There are no navigational aids and I did not have cell service here, so I relied on the map provided at the kiosk to navigate between holes and find the tees. I uploaded the map here, and I'd recommend saving it onto your phone before you head out to this course in case the kiosk is out of maps (there were only a couple when I visited).
Other extras like trash cans, benches, practice basket, and porta potty are missing.
The course is mostly flat and pretty open, and won't present much challenge to better disc golfers.
The tees are natural and are marked only by small stones/plates embedded into the grass. They have the hole number and par. I could not find the marking for the 9th or 10th tee. At some tees, there is also a separate sign with a Bible verse. There are no navigational aids and I did not have cell service here, so I relied on the map provided at the kiosk to navigate between holes and find the tees. I uploaded the map here, and I'd recommend saving it onto your phone before you head out to this course in case the kiosk is out of maps (there were only a couple when I visited).
Other extras like trash cans, benches, practice basket, and porta potty are missing.
Other Thoughts:
The road that the camp is on (last 1.5 miles or so of your trip here) is dirt. If driving from the St. Ignace area, I would recommend staying on the main roads (i.e. I-75 to M-134 to M-129). Several back roads that looked like a more direct route, turned out to be poorly maintained dirt roads.
Assuming that you aren't camping here and are just a member of the general public trying to play this course, it has pretty restricted availability. It is seasonal, AND also only open to the general public when nothing else is going on at the camp. I would advise using either the camp's Facebook page or the phone number on their website to check on availability, before driving out to the middle of nowhere where this course is located. I used Facebook and the person I talked to was very responsive. To give an idea of what is likely "normal" availability: I inquired about visiting in mid August and was told "The camp will be closed to the public for the weekend (11th-12th) for a wedding but open during the week days that week and then it's open until the 24th then close for a private event for the next 2 weeks (Aug 24th- Sept4)". So again - contact the camp prior to spending the time to drive out.
This course is nothing special, but it's not a bad design for the target audience - and at the end of the day, it is a course in an area with very few DG options that are even passable. Realistically, the only actual improvement I'd really lobby for is some basic tee signs mounted on vertical posts. This part of the UP is definitely not a destination for disc golfers today - but if you find yourself around here and have verified that the course is available, by all means come give it a shot!
Assuming that you aren't camping here and are just a member of the general public trying to play this course, it has pretty restricted availability. It is seasonal, AND also only open to the general public when nothing else is going on at the camp. I would advise using either the camp's Facebook page or the phone number on their website to check on availability, before driving out to the middle of nowhere where this course is located. I used Facebook and the person I talked to was very responsive. To give an idea of what is likely "normal" availability: I inquired about visiting in mid August and was told "The camp will be closed to the public for the weekend (11th-12th) for a wedding but open during the week days that week and then it's open until the 24th then close for a private event for the next 2 weeks (Aug 24th- Sept4)". So again - contact the camp prior to spending the time to drive out.
This course is nothing special, but it's not a bad design for the target audience - and at the end of the day, it is a course in an area with very few DG options that are even passable. Realistically, the only actual improvement I'd really lobby for is some basic tee signs mounted on vertical posts. This part of the UP is definitely not a destination for disc golfers today - but if you find yourself around here and have verified that the course is available, by all means come give it a shot!
