Powder Mill DGC is an 18-holer located near the mouth of the Dead River in Marquette, MI. The course is bordered by the river to the west, a power station to the north, a BMX track and soccer fields to the east, and a road to the south. Once you turn in on Powder Mill Rd (which is a dirt drive), follow the signs for the BMX track to reach the shared parking lot.

Despite its location within the Marquette city limits, this course covers some interesting terrain and it feels like you are out in the woods for much of your round. There is enough elevation change to affect play on maybe half of the holes here, and a few sloping greens. The river could come into play on holes 2, 3, and 12. You'll never have to throw over it, but it's close enough to the fairway to add some intrigue.

My favorite hole #7 is a 275' left turn up a slope that largely consists of exposed rock. At the top of the slope some trees have managed to root themselves into the rock and make for a tough approach to the basket. A gully that can be wet at the bottom lurks on the right side of the fairway. Very pretty and unique terrain on this one. The next hole #8 tees off from the top of the rock face, and is a fairly open downhill throw but the basket is tucked into some trees on the right 330' away. Some power lines and the park road on the left side/behind the hole do take away from the view a bit here. A final hole that bears mentioning is hole 14, which plays 400' up and then along a ridge with both sides sloping sharply downward into thick rough. The ridge curls slightly to the right as the hole goes along. This nasty little hole is signed as a very tough par 3.

The equipment here is mostly good. The baskets are yellow banded DISCatchers in good shape. There is a kiosk at the front of the course with a course map on it, plus a practice basket. The tee pads are large rubber mats secured to leveled wood framing. While I prefer concrete pads, I did not have any trouble with these rubber ones - even though it had just stopped raining both times I visited the course. There are two tee pads per hole, a long Blue tee and a short Red tee. Some of the tees had benches nearby. Nice tee signs appear at both tees (color coded) showing hole number/par, map of the hole including OB areas, and distances to both the main pin position and an alternate pin position. As I had seen the evening before at nearby Silver Creek, the pins were in the main positions when I played and it was not clear when (if at all) they are moved to the alternate positions. At least one tee sign also proclaimed Marquette to be a "Frisbee Sanctuary City". Maybe so, but I would not recommend playing this one with a Frisbee!

From the Blue tees, this course provides the obstacles and distances for a challenging round. There is a good mix of lines to hit through the woods, and a couple semi-open holes as well. The Red tees provide a round more appropriate for newer players, but (unlike at Silver Creek) it didn't look like a cakewalk from these Red tees. The distances are shorter, but some creative tee placements basically make this an entirely different layout that may still keep better DG'ers interested. I challenged myself with the Blue layout on both of my visits, but plan on trying the Red layout if and when I return to the area again.

I have a few safety concerns with this one. The area near the river (hole 12 in particular) seems to be a popular place for people to walk their dogs, and even fish. With some tall shrubs and weeds between the fairway and the water, I encountered people that I hadn't seen from the tee pad both times I played this hole. The park drive and various hiking/walking trails are in play on a few holes each, and a couple of holes are squeezed pretty close together.

Next Tee signs are few and far between. A couple of the tee signs at the pads mention where the next hole is, but overall you will definitely want a map or UDisc to help with navigation.

On a related note, there are some long walks between holes and the flow is a little funky. Walking along the road for maybe 750'-1000' from #12 to #13, and then again from #13 to #14, is particularly unpleasant.

A few holes are quite unremarkable and felt like filler to me.

Concrete pads would still be an upgrade.

No trash cans or porta potty that I saw.

This course costs $3/round or $5/day to play, payable at a collection tube on the kiosk.

This is another one where I struggled a little bit with the rating. I wasn't blown away, but this is a solid course from beginning to end. I think it is about a 3.75, and despite my safety concerns I decided to round up. For those visiting Marquette, I recommend making enough time to play all four 18-hole courses in the area. But for disc golfers who only have time to play one course and are looking for a challenge, Powder Mill may be the most appealing option!

Variety - Powder Mill has a platter of different kinds of holes. They go all different directions, some very long, a few very short, through extremely tight tree jail fairways, regularly wooded tree lined fairways, one wide open field shot with a guarded green, and quite a few wider shots that still require placement as to not go OB or into trouble. A couple holes have the river coming into play, I believe they are holes 3 and 12. The distances are all over the place - hole 12 is a legitimate two shot par 4, while hole 18 is a upper 100 foot shot, and of course there is everything in between. Hole 13 is unique in that it offers two defined forehand fairways, and one defined backhand lane (RHBH). 7 allows you to hit one of two tight hyzer gaps, or go BIG tomahawk/thumber over the left side. Many options to play things here. Multiple pin locations on many holes.

Challenge - all the above traits all come together to create a very tough course. This is accentuated by a couple of daunting basket placements. Holes 11, 14 and 15 have the scariest greens in the sport. The short pin on 11 is atop a 10 foot tall steep hard dirt mound, and hole 15 has steep hard dirt and rock slopes around the back, left and right of the basket. I have taken rollaway/blowby 8's on both of these holes. 14 is also atop a very steep and fast ridge, and almost all the drives and approaches will funnel you to the bottom of said hill, making most putts incredibly scary.

Elevation - used very well Here. Hole 3 is an ace run across a small valley with river trouble on the right, and the basket is in a sandy pit. 7 goes up to the left on top of a big rock outcropping. 8 shoots off of the top level of said rocks. 9's basket is tucked away in a tree grove at the bottom of a gentle slope. 13 plays slightly uphill overall, but more flat on the forehand approach, where a backhand (RHBH) is likely to be funneled to the bottom of the hill where the basket is. 14 is up over a hill, then back down if you pull off a hyzer to pin high, and you are left with a steep long uphill putt. 15 has the death slopes on all sides of the pin.

Big rubber teepads, many of which are up on very nicely landscaped log and brick platforms. Grippy and plenty big.

Yellow banded Innova Disccatches in great shape.

Teesigns showing fairway shape and pin locations, as well as par and distance.

Garbage cans on some holes, and even a couple teepad brooms.

Ground upkeep - this is my biggest con when playing here. For such a great course, there are a few holes that really feel like they could be and need to be kept up better. Hole 14 is the biggest example of this - it is one of the more grassy holes (most of the rest are a sandy dirt mixture), and it has never seemed to be cut any of the times I have been there. There are tons and tons of tall weeds past waist high, along with tons of thick bushes in prime landing areas. If you want a chance at a 3 on this hole, you have to crank a long gentle hyzer over the hill and back down, and there are a bunch of thick bushes at the bottom of the hill where the disc would land, If this hole could get the facelift it needs, it would be an absolutely stunning signature hole. A couple others could use some tall grass and weeds taken out, such as 12 and maybe 7 and 10.

Navigation - most of the course is easy to follow, but my rating for nav takes a hit with holes 11 and 12. They are both a long long walk down the hill through a meadow and through the woods to get to, and I don't believe there is an easy to find "next tee" sign, if any at all. The walk then from 12 to 13 is a long one back up the hill and across the road, and the walk from 13 to 14 is almost the entire length of hole 14, which can be annoying. Also, the multiple pin positions can drastically change the hole, and what you would want to throw and how far, and there is currently no way of knowing which is in use without a fairway walk.

The holes in the power line right of ways feel a tad awkward. Dunno why but they're just a bit weird. Maybe I'm just not used to holes that use them. It is nitpicky but worth mentioning. BUT they are still fun.

A couple of holes feel like poke and hope - holes 1 and 18 play back and forth parallel to each other, and each one feels like throwing at a wall of jail trees. If you are playing for a birdie on either, I feel like a good amount of luck is needed to get through all the trees. Playing for par isn't as bad, as you can try and lay up through the first few gaps, then pick from your next few gaps up to the basket. I guess it does offer a bit of risk vs. reward in that aspect, but it still feels like spray and pray overall on these two.

Can be a bit littered - I will chalk that up as being due to proximity to Northern Michigan University - the UP's no. 1 party till you drop college.

I said Silver Creek, just down the road, makes up for it's lack of distance and open vs. wooded variety with it's presentation, and Powder Mill is just the opposite. It has a smorgusbord of different lines, distances, shot shapes, and open vs. wooded variety, while sacrificing a bit of the upkeep and presentation. If the holes with the long grass could be kept up and properly maintained, and litter picked up a bit more, than this course could easily be a 4.5 instead of a 4, in my book. Overall you will get a fun, challenging and incredibly unique round every time you play.

Finally a full 18-hole course through the woods in Marquette! They've obviously put a lot of work and though into designing a truly outstanding course. Good shot selection. Every hole has a map, which is nice. Scenic view. The elevated tee pads on some of the holes are nice, but I really wish there was concrete as within a few weeks the gravel had significant divots.

Again, concrete pads would be preferable. I wish there were a few holes to really open up and crank on. Even for my small(ish) arm, a lot of the holes are pretty short. Some of the tees can be a bit hard to find on your first time.

I hope they are able to put in the other holes they were talking about on the other side of the river.

Shot shaping along with variety. With two sets of skill based tee design (red for recreational players, and blue for advanced players), the play off the tees is varied extremely well with short/long, left/straight/right, and uphill/downhill holes. These tees do not leave multiple routes for you most of the time, rather force you to become a better player and throw better requiring almost specific disc flights. Perfect flights yield deuce opportunities in almost all cases, and often ace runs. Poor throws are punished but not too bad. Adequate throws can save par.
Risk versus reward. With lots of wooded shot shaped "airways" playing it safe and controlled can yield a decent round. However, all airways are completely fair for skill and overall distances and a hot round can be easily had. BUT, the hot round will not just come off the tee, it will require well placed upshots due to obstacles and risky greens, and putts must also be spot on due to some risky greens. Also, many holes offer sneak peaks at the pin through narrow gaps, while the main fairway bends in an opposite direction. Risk the 5' gap acerun and you may be rewarded for your skill.
Variety again. Mostly wooded course, which I prefer, but a few holes open up and let you air it out a bit, or leave you with options. Many corridor airways, but power line right-of-ways and some holes bordering fields and sandy river bottom offer a change of "space". Distance varies from the picturesque ace run hole 3 at 180', to the tunnel along the river at 525' and a need to drive 375' through a corridor to hit the landing zone at the dogleg left. Great mix of distances and excellent fair length to width ratios.
Memorable holes. The ace run #3 is a beauty. Hole 2 alternate pin location down in a grassy cove along the river and a 500' S-curve with road and river OB. Hole 7 up the rock ledge and three separate landing terraces. Hole 8 down the tunnel and off the rock outcropping. The untamed beast of a hole #10. The fear inducing narrow ridge of hole 14. And the ace run 18 to end it all. There are more, and I have more favorites, but these seem most commonly adored.
Personal touches. From our sponsors and talented and dedicated volunteers throughout the community we have elevated tees, rock gardens, custom woodwork benches, tables, and signs. Many players and sponsors work tirelessly and selflessly to beautify and make this course unique.
Land use variety. The design did the absolute best with the given limitations to showcase so many of the unique and different features of the land. In a relatively small area, you will see a lot of terrain used in many good ways.
No poison ivy, oak, nettles, etc. But ticks, blackflies, and mosquitoes are probably ever present, however completely bearable.

Crowding and cramping. Due to land use restrictions and the natural and man made features, the design was somewhat restrictive and a few tighter hole interactions are a result. Good throws are no issue, but bad throws can overlap. Potential areas are Hole 4 pin/Hole 5, Hole 9 mid fairway/Hole 10 long tee, Hole 11 pin if you go long/Hole 12 long tee fairway if your drive isnt straight, Hole 16 if you go long into Hole 9. We had to fit the design in between soccer fields, a river, and a county highway. All while avoiding a gravel road that bisects the course and a well used recreation trail (North Country Trail) that winds throughout some of the better parts of the course.
Backstops. This is more a function of the land, or rock rather than soil, and some pins had to be placed too close to an upslope in my opinion. This creates a backstop in which to rifle drives and upshots at the pin with little risk of overthrowing. The greens of hole 3, 7, and 10 have backstops. Although countering this are many risky dropoff greens as well like
Crowds. The course starts and ends, with the parking lot right by a busy BMX track and soccer fields. The adjacent sports complex is used a LOT. There is a lot of traffic up and down the road that bisects the property and the amount of extranneous noise really eliminates your chances at a peaceful and secluded round. The amount of players is really very high because this is the only 18-hole and only well designed course in the 20 mile area. (UPDGA is working on 5 more!)
No water forced to throw over. No huge downhill bombers.

In summary, this course design really does a good job using the created airways to force players use or develop the skills necessary to be well rounded. Risking the great drive may be punished, but is easily rewarded. Playing safe, controlled, and accurate will yield a decent round, but thos skill players who take their chances and are confident putters will be able to rise to the challenge and concquer it.
Be mindful of the public in general when crossing the roads, throwing near other fishing, biking, walking, soccer areas.
Come to Marquette and enjoy this skill based design and post your thoughts and accomplishments on the facebook page.
This course was developed by a small hardcore group of enthuisiasts. Despite low numbers and relatively poor volunteer turnouts, the finished product truly reflects the level of dedication, and personal commitment. Sponsors and those dedicated volunteers have really helped make this course shine and it will continue to for years as UPDGA develops more and more courses in the area and makes a bid to host Worlds!

Red vs Blue tees: The different tees are not just different lengths.They truly offer skill level based tees. Red and Blue tees play ,for the most part, as two different courses.

Variation: nothing on this course is repetitive.

Tee shots: you are forced to play this course. the holes do not play as a drive and dump left format. hole 10 is a great example, from the blue tee you are forced to throw somewhat away from the basket and come back right but if you do not come back left at the end you are not to the basket. for RHBH it takes a great anhyer S to get there.

there is varying elevation and most fairways allow room to shape you throws. some are tight and require a long controlled line drive.

for the most part there are not random trees to knock a good drive down.

The blues are actually difficult!

Temp signage is really good. good temp directional signs course flows nicely for the majority of it.

gravel tees get divots but the type of gravel is easily and quickly smoothed out for the next throw with your foot. Rubber pads are being looked into.



Secondary pin locations are not installed

Temp signs do not say what pin position is being used.

I would complain about the rough on hole 14 but it is cleaned up and has changed my confidence in going for the basket off the pad.

they need rubber pads!


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tee signs show direction but not features of holes.

TEE SIGN FOOTAGES ARE WHACK: 14 short claims 170 when it is a jump putt. some of the other holes are off too but not by nearly as much. They haven't finalised the measurements but need to do so.

Blue tee have been taking two am2 players 1hr and 40 mins to play together. this is without other groups on course.

worst hole in my opinion is 13blue: its bland looking and if possible needs a clearer route though it is not necessary other than for aesthetics

Best hole: I love the look of 3blue but My favorite hole right now is 14Blue. its long and one hell of a tight fairway if you wish to stay up level with basket. but there is an infinite amount of air space to work with and shape some great runs on the basket but with it being a blind uphill shot only a spotter would visually know how great your shot was.


THey really need to get the other sleeves in the ground some of the holes look like they will be even better with alt pin placements

Hole 3 is beautiful short but a nice ace run with the back of pad overlooking river and the fairway being a sweet tunnel.

Prior to throwing the course, I thought some of the holes didn't have lanes and well i was wrong. there isn't a hole that doesn't have a great and proper lane. now with that said not every basket is obtainable with one throw either. par is made with well placed and purposeful shots. under par is just being a great player.

I Would travel hours out of my way to play Powder Mill. I would travel across state lines to play an event at a course this nice.

Good mixture of left/right and elevation changes, very scenic course, and challanging.

A couple of holes do not contain shooting lanes causing you to pick a path and hope you make it through. A hole or two have dense rough, make sure you keep an eye on your disc. The course overall has a good layout but you can get confunsed on where the next tee is. Signs point you in the right direction and logs line many walk ways but the confusion should dissipate when walked on more.

The course is defiinitely worth the trip if you are from out of town. The hole break down shows water in play on multiple holes, but don't run to the store to get a floatable disc. Unless you throw an stray disc the water is no real threat. The volunters did an amazing job putting it all together. I thank you all for your hard work and coutless hours putting it together.