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Red Szymarek Park reviews
20
0
Bagged it! (Update: Enjoyed the practice!)
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Oct 16, 2020
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
Red Szymarek Park (fun name) is a flat, small piece of land sandwiched between a residential neighborhood and a beach in Manistee, MI (It's not close enough to the beach that you can see it, or that any water comes into play). The flora here is scattered old growth trees. I don't think it would be possible to lose a disc here, unless it gets run over by a car or something (see Cons). The tree trunks are thick enough to force some degree of shot shaping around them on each of the five holes. New since my first play in 2020, several mandos have been added to force particular lines and also keep discs further away from the street.
All five baskets here are brand new Chainstar Pros! They were installed on May 13, 2022 (+/- 1 day). There are also five small cement tee pads. You'll have to stand and throw - no run up. But I think that's fine for this course. Small tee signs with the hole number and distance are next to the pads.
All five baskets here are brand new Chainstar Pros! They were installed on May 13, 2022 (+/- 1 day). There are also five small cement tee pads. You'll have to stand and throw - no run up. But I think that's fine for this course. Small tee signs with the hole number and distance are next to the pads.
Cons:
You can see the whole course from any vantage point within it, and play it in 10-15 minutes. Nice for practice, but not necessarily something that is going to attract any non-locals to the course.
Even with the redesign I still have some safety concerns. My biggest safety concern now is that hole 5's basket is nearly in hole 1's firing line. It's also still a fact that holes 4 and 5 tee off pretty much right next to the street - even with mandos theoretically keeping discs away from the street this is still a little bit troubling for me given that this course could be played by the beginning-est of beginners. There is also a swing set in the right side of hole 2's fairway, and several picnic tables in play. None of this is the WORST safety wise in my book, because you will only be throwing shorter shots and there are no blind shots here. Be smart - keep it away from the road, and from any other park users - and it shouldn't be an actual issue (but might be less enjoyable for you if you have to skip one or more of the holes - remember, there are only five).
There is no real street parking on the two streets that border the park, and you should NOT pull onto the dirt drive in the park (it is in the firing line on holes 1, 2, and 5). So there is really nowhere great to park. I pulled mostly off the street onto the sidewalk.
Even with the redesign I still have some safety concerns. My biggest safety concern now is that hole 5's basket is nearly in hole 1's firing line. It's also still a fact that holes 4 and 5 tee off pretty much right next to the street - even with mandos theoretically keeping discs away from the street this is still a little bit troubling for me given that this course could be played by the beginning-est of beginners. There is also a swing set in the right side of hole 2's fairway, and several picnic tables in play. None of this is the WORST safety wise in my book, because you will only be throwing shorter shots and there are no blind shots here. Be smart - keep it away from the road, and from any other park users - and it shouldn't be an actual issue (but might be less enjoyable for you if you have to skip one or more of the holes - remember, there are only five).
There is no real street parking on the two streets that border the park, and you should NOT pull onto the dirt drive in the park (it is in the firing line on holes 1, 2, and 5). So there is really nowhere great to park. I pulled mostly off the street onto the sidewalk.
Other Thoughts:
I am in the Manistee area several times a year. On this occasion, my girlfriend and I ordered takeout from one of the local restaurants (The Fillmore - it was quite good if you are passing through). We were looking for something to do for half an hour while we waited for the food, and this course fit the bill. Even though it was the very end of a cold day (was twilight when I played), another group was leaving just as we arrived and a third group arrived to play just as we were finishing up. The Manistee area is still a little thin on DG options, so if you are local and similarly have 30 minutes to kill, go for it.
UPDATE MAY 2022: I returned to the course this past weekend and found that lots of changes have been made, as discussed in the most recent review by MasonCountyDiscGolf. I updated a lot of text in the above review, but to summarize the changes in one place:
- New Chainstar Pro baskets
- Addition of mando signs
- Removal of tee signs that were literally at the back of the pads, and were preventing proper teeing off
- Slight lengthening of holes
It also seemed like what was a dirt drive in the center of the park is being grassed in a little bit, eliminating another potential safety concern I had. With all of these positive changes, this has become a much more playable course and I am much less concerned about recommending this one for beginners and families in an immediate area that is still pretty thin on DG options. If no one else is in the park, you could play the baskets safari-style too. I was originally only going to increase my rating from 0.5 to 1.0 but changed my mind and bumped it all the way up to 1.5. This is still by no means a destination course, but it's a nice place to get a little practice in if you are already in the area. I'll probably make a point of checking in here each time I visit the area.
UPDATE MARCH 2024: Stopped by the course again today. The tee signs have been improved since my last visit - they now have the hole distances.
UPDATE MAY 2022: I returned to the course this past weekend and found that lots of changes have been made, as discussed in the most recent review by MasonCountyDiscGolf. I updated a lot of text in the above review, but to summarize the changes in one place:
- New Chainstar Pro baskets
- Addition of mando signs
- Removal of tee signs that were literally at the back of the pads, and were preventing proper teeing off
- Slight lengthening of holes
It also seemed like what was a dirt drive in the center of the park is being grassed in a little bit, eliminating another potential safety concern I had. With all of these positive changes, this has become a much more playable course and I am much less concerned about recommending this one for beginners and families in an immediate area that is still pretty thin on DG options. If no one else is in the park, you could play the baskets safari-style too. I was originally only going to increase my rating from 0.5 to 1.0 but changed my mind and bumped it all the way up to 1.5. This is still by no means a destination course, but it's a nice place to get a little practice in if you are already in the area. I'll probably make a point of checking in here each time I visit the area.
UPDATE MARCH 2024: Stopped by the course again today. The tee signs have been improved since my last visit - they now have the hole distances.
