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The Tailings reviews
15
0
Still Awesome 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Jul 11, 2020
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
Unique Terrain
Great Design: using the River, Elevation, Washouts, Ruins, and Woods
Addition of Concrete Shorts makes the course approachable for Newbs/Familys
The Blue Tees make the course a real memorable challenge. Loves playing those Blues!
Great Design: using the River, Elevation, Washouts, Ruins, and Woods
Addition of Concrete Shorts makes the course approachable for Newbs/Familys
The Blue Tees make the course a real memorable challenge. Loves playing those Blues!
Cons:
Tee Signs could be Updated
Not Beginner/Family Friendly. Steep, Iffy footing, and Tricky Landing Zones
The River and Rough Eat bad shots. Rough is brutal in Summer
Death Pits to the left of Fencing on Holes 7 8 & 9
Older Players would like more Benches
18 leaves a little to be desired. Finishing hole is the weakest/filler hole, unfortunately
Not Beginner/Family Friendly. Steep, Iffy footing, and Tricky Landing Zones
The River and Rough Eat bad shots. Rough is brutal in Summer
Death Pits to the left of Fencing on Holes 7 8 & 9
Older Players would like more Benches
18 leaves a little to be desired. Finishing hole is the weakest/filler hole, unfortunately
Other Thoughts:
Local DGers are giving this Gem of a Course love
I've only played here in Fall and Spring before, but the course conditions were phenomenal for mid July, exceeding expectations. Kudos to the Caretakers yoop there
One of a kind course property with quality design:
Hole 1 plays right along Iron River, with a small retention Pond in front of the Green, and Swamp behind the green
2s Basket is elevated on a Pile of Tailings with guardian Aspens, and the River off to the Left
4 is a unique 'Top of da World' shot, with a funky Basket position
5 plays besides the old Kilns
10 is another unique Tailings hole
11 is yet another unique Top of the World shot with a tricky line to the landing zone
17 requires a Shot over the Iron River to a small green
Always a memorable time at The Tailings
I've only played here in Fall and Spring before, but the course conditions were phenomenal for mid July, exceeding expectations. Kudos to the Caretakers yoop there
One of a kind course property with quality design:
Hole 1 plays right along Iron River, with a small retention Pond in front of the Green, and Swamp behind the green
2s Basket is elevated on a Pile of Tailings with guardian Aspens, and the River off to the Left
4 is a unique 'Top of da World' shot, with a funky Basket position
5 plays besides the old Kilns
10 is another unique Tailings hole
11 is yet another unique Top of the World shot with a tricky line to the landing zone
17 requires a Shot over the Iron River to a small green
Always a memorable time at The Tailings
19
0
Holy Smokes 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Aug 3, 2018
Played the course:once
Pros:
I have been looking forward to playing this course since I first heard of it. Researching it online, however, gave mixed messages regarding the status of the course, indicating it had collapsed and was overgrown and abandoned. Let me assure you, the course is very playable and in perfectly fine shape! The fairways were fairly well groomed when I played. There was certainly rough, but it's been tamed quite a bit - old pictures make it look considerably worse than how it actually is.
"Tailings" refers to the castoff rock and detritus from mining. The course is set among piles of rock and remnants of mining structures and it is very, very cool. Some of the structures have been implemented into the course, most notably a cement arch (railroad arch?) that guards the front and rear approach of the basket. All around rock cuts out of the ground and provides an interesting visual landscape.
Elevation is used on most holes, both up and down hill. There was a mix of left, right, and straight shots. The variety was quite good and you won't rely on a couple of shots or discs to finish the course. This is NOT a boring course to play.
Water comes into play somewhat regularly with a river cutting through the course and numerous ponds on hole edges. One shot, 16 I believe, requires a challenging carry over perhaps 20 feet of water. The distance isn't bad, but you're throwing downhill through a window in the trees. The window is generous but there is a guardian tree near the basket that will punish players trying to have their discs drop in from the left. I'm sure it's kicked more than a few discs into the river. The rest of it is fairly avoidable, but be aware that a disc that doesn't behave itself may well find itself floating down the river.
There was a set of longs and a set of shorts for each hole. Longs usually had a rubber teepad that was in good shape, shorts generally had a strip of carpet, though I think some of them may have been turf with spraypaint. Not going to lie - there were a couple of holes my wife and I chickened out on and just played the shorts.
The course wasn't busy when we visited. Pretty sure we were the only golfers on the course though we did see plenty of ATV riders on the nearby trails. The trails are mostly separate but there are a couple of holes where you may need to pause for traffic.
"Tailings" refers to the castoff rock and detritus from mining. The course is set among piles of rock and remnants of mining structures and it is very, very cool. Some of the structures have been implemented into the course, most notably a cement arch (railroad arch?) that guards the front and rear approach of the basket. All around rock cuts out of the ground and provides an interesting visual landscape.
Elevation is used on most holes, both up and down hill. There was a mix of left, right, and straight shots. The variety was quite good and you won't rely on a couple of shots or discs to finish the course. This is NOT a boring course to play.
Water comes into play somewhat regularly with a river cutting through the course and numerous ponds on hole edges. One shot, 16 I believe, requires a challenging carry over perhaps 20 feet of water. The distance isn't bad, but you're throwing downhill through a window in the trees. The window is generous but there is a guardian tree near the basket that will punish players trying to have their discs drop in from the left. I'm sure it's kicked more than a few discs into the river. The rest of it is fairly avoidable, but be aware that a disc that doesn't behave itself may well find itself floating down the river.
There was a set of longs and a set of shorts for each hole. Longs usually had a rubber teepad that was in good shape, shorts generally had a strip of carpet, though I think some of them may have been turf with spraypaint. Not going to lie - there were a couple of holes my wife and I chickened out on and just played the shorts.
The course wasn't busy when we visited. Pretty sure we were the only golfers on the course though we did see plenty of ATV riders on the nearby trails. The trails are mostly separate but there are a couple of holes where you may need to pause for traffic.
Cons:
The course was an experience, but it has its rough edges.
When you drive in the driveway is barely above two-track. Part of it has been washed out on one side and the parking lot was filled with very large pools of water. I was happy I was driving a truck to get around.
The holes flow fairly well but are not super well marked. Hole 1 is actually PAST 18's basket. Nothing obnoxious, but we had to bring up a UDisc map to figure it out. From there it's hit and miss if you can find the next hole easily or not. Sometimes its obvious, sometimes you need to hunt around a bit. Hole signs are hit and miss as some of them are quite damaged.
Generally I found the rough to be quite agreeable. There's some overgrown grass here and there but most of it woodsy overgrowth that's pretty navigable. The big exception to this are the sinkholes/waste pits. There are a couple of ponds next to some of the holes that are at the bottom of 30-40 foot drop-offs. There's fencing along those holes that I thought marked out-of-bounds. Nope, it's there to make sure you don't kill yourself. If a disc goes over, as near as I can tell it's gone. I poked around for about 30 minutes trying to figure out how to get down and look for one of mine that kicked off a tree but it wasn't happening. Maybe I could have slid down on my butt or something, but I would have probably landed in a pond that I had no idea how deep it was or what the bottom was like and I sure as heck wasn't sure how I'd get back up. After losing the first one and realizing what I was playing next to I played a LOT more conservatively.
Not sure that there are ANY facilities out there. No bathrooms, no trash, no benches. There also wasn't any litter and considering the park was nearly spotless somebody either is picking the place up or the patrons simply take a lot of pride in taking care of it.
The course is not cart friendly. It's barely people-friendly. Wear hiking boots or something sturdy because you're going to be clamoring over some very poor trails, loose rocks, and steep inclines. The unwary will twist an ankle.
When you drive in the driveway is barely above two-track. Part of it has been washed out on one side and the parking lot was filled with very large pools of water. I was happy I was driving a truck to get around.
The holes flow fairly well but are not super well marked. Hole 1 is actually PAST 18's basket. Nothing obnoxious, but we had to bring up a UDisc map to figure it out. From there it's hit and miss if you can find the next hole easily or not. Sometimes its obvious, sometimes you need to hunt around a bit. Hole signs are hit and miss as some of them are quite damaged.
Generally I found the rough to be quite agreeable. There's some overgrown grass here and there but most of it woodsy overgrowth that's pretty navigable. The big exception to this are the sinkholes/waste pits. There are a couple of ponds next to some of the holes that are at the bottom of 30-40 foot drop-offs. There's fencing along those holes that I thought marked out-of-bounds. Nope, it's there to make sure you don't kill yourself. If a disc goes over, as near as I can tell it's gone. I poked around for about 30 minutes trying to figure out how to get down and look for one of mine that kicked off a tree but it wasn't happening. Maybe I could have slid down on my butt or something, but I would have probably landed in a pond that I had no idea how deep it was or what the bottom was like and I sure as heck wasn't sure how I'd get back up. After losing the first one and realizing what I was playing next to I played a LOT more conservatively.
Not sure that there are ANY facilities out there. No bathrooms, no trash, no benches. There also wasn't any litter and considering the park was nearly spotless somebody either is picking the place up or the patrons simply take a lot of pride in taking care of it.
The course is not cart friendly. It's barely people-friendly. Wear hiking boots or something sturdy because you're going to be clamoring over some very poor trails, loose rocks, and steep inclines. The unwary will twist an ankle.
Other Thoughts:
The course is challenging and demands respect. If you throw poorly, you won't lose a disc - the course will take it from you like a curmudgeonly teacher reprimanding you. The river moves quickly and I think anything that goes into it will be gone unless you are ready to jump in and wade quickly. The sinkholes are outright inaccessible due to their steep, dangerous banks, discounting the murky water hiding your disc entirely. No idea how deep they are. The rough is rough enough it can be challenging to find your disc, particularly with the elevation and blind turns in play.
That said, it's one of the most remarkable courses I've gotten to play. Normally I'm quite conservative on scores but I'm giving the Tailing high marks despite the complete lack of facilities and some obvious problems. With some love and dedication this could really be a true destination course. It may already be a destination course if you can overlook the rough edges. You really owe it to yourself to play this if you are anywhere near the area.
On a side note, because there are a lot of mining castoffs this is a fun course for a rock hound. Keeping my eyes open for interesting specimens was a good bit of fun while walking from hole to hole.
That said, it's one of the most remarkable courses I've gotten to play. Normally I'm quite conservative on scores but I'm giving the Tailing high marks despite the complete lack of facilities and some obvious problems. With some love and dedication this could really be a true destination course. It may already be a destination course if you can overlook the rough edges. You really owe it to yourself to play this if you are anywhere near the area.
On a side note, because there are a lot of mining castoffs this is a fun course for a rock hound. Keeping my eyes open for interesting specimens was a good bit of fun while walking from hole to hole.
9
0
leadpaint
Experience:
21.7 years
82 played
5 reviews
A rough mix 2+ years
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Apr 12, 2012
Played the course:5+ times
Pros:
A very interesting mix of elevations and direction.
Tees Fairways ans Baskets may all have a different elevation and a different direction on the same hole. deffinetly a change of pace from your traditional throw straight, throw left, or throw right course designs. let say some are go left down then up right finish flat center. It makes for a very diverse set of 18 holes that you never feel that you are replaying a hole and in fact you feel and your needed throws will show you that each hole is unique and a challenge.
elevation+
distances are good do to the great mix of difficulty
Some very Unique holes. one being a basket under a huge concrete arch and another being an extremely elevated and extremely blind rhbh 600+ hyzer that needs to flatten out for the end of it's flight.
Tees Fairways ans Baskets may all have a different elevation and a different direction on the same hole. deffinetly a change of pace from your traditional throw straight, throw left, or throw right course designs. let say some are go left down then up right finish flat center. It makes for a very diverse set of 18 holes that you never feel that you are replaying a hole and in fact you feel and your needed throws will show you that each hole is unique and a challenge.
elevation+
distances are good do to the great mix of difficulty
Some very Unique holes. one being a basket under a huge concrete arch and another being an extremely elevated and extremely blind rhbh 600+ hyzer that needs to flatten out for the end of it's flight.
Cons:
rough. due to there being no disc golf community in the area. the course is wild and rugged. expect extra time if you play alone or if you dare throw extra discs per hole. really the only thing i feel is lacking here is nature maintenance and maybe some benches to take a break fro the rugged terrain. there also needs to be a set of stairs built for the elevated climb two holes after the arch. or maybe a rope with knots to assist in the climb. cut dirt stairs don't suffice .
Other Thoughts:
An uncut diamond sitting in the middle of nowhere waiting for your boots to polish it a bit. it could be a top contender if they had a dedicated club in the town. It is worth going out of your way to play but be advised it is not a walk in the park.
12
0
harr0140
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience:
15.3 years
1508 played
480 reviews
Wag your Tailings 2+ years
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Oct 27, 2012
Played the course:once
Pros:
1) There are some incredible disc golf shots . . . shots I have never had the opportunity to throw before! Some of the shots are what make you want to come back over and over or empty your entire bag trying to execute the right shot.
2) Massive rubber tees . . . they look like they were made from conveyor belts of some sort.
3) DGA signs are acceptable for the information they can provide. Unfortunately some of the signs are missing already.
4) 2 sets of tees help to make the course a little bit more beginner friendly because some of these tee locations and throws needed are simply to tough for beginners.
5) Unique basket location using a concrete arch. The basket is set right in the opening of the arch and is protected by the concrete except for a 20-30' wide area on either end of the arch. If you throw straight at the basket and end up behind the concrete post of the arch, you will likely not be able to make the putt. You want to miss to the right or the left to have a clear shot. This is something I have never seen before and I always welcome unique things like this into the game.
6) There is another extremely unique feature of this course and that is the rock bluffs off to the side of #5 and 6. It looks as if that was an old mine because below the cliffs is a massive deep depression, so I am guessing this is where whatever was mined on the property originally came from. I took multiple pictures of this cool feature.
7) If you want a challenge . . . this is your course. I love championship level courses even if I am not a championship level player.
8) The views and scenery on this course are awesome. Although there were a few things that detracted from the overall aesthetics, overall this was a pretty course and property.
9) Awesome elevation change on quite a few holes. It mostly plays down the hills but there are a couple tough uphill holes too.
10) Nice variety of foliage density working through some tight woods, a few more open turfed holes, and some holes with just a handful of trees acting as obstacles to your throws.
11) Shot shaping has plenty of variety here. You definitely want to consider all obstacles and play placement disc golf to avoid bad skips and ending up in some of the briars and brush.
2) Massive rubber tees . . . they look like they were made from conveyor belts of some sort.
3) DGA signs are acceptable for the information they can provide. Unfortunately some of the signs are missing already.
4) 2 sets of tees help to make the course a little bit more beginner friendly because some of these tee locations and throws needed are simply to tough for beginners.
5) Unique basket location using a concrete arch. The basket is set right in the opening of the arch and is protected by the concrete except for a 20-30' wide area on either end of the arch. If you throw straight at the basket and end up behind the concrete post of the arch, you will likely not be able to make the putt. You want to miss to the right or the left to have a clear shot. This is something I have never seen before and I always welcome unique things like this into the game.
6) There is another extremely unique feature of this course and that is the rock bluffs off to the side of #5 and 6. It looks as if that was an old mine because below the cliffs is a massive deep depression, so I am guessing this is where whatever was mined on the property originally came from. I took multiple pictures of this cool feature.
7) If you want a challenge . . . this is your course. I love championship level courses even if I am not a championship level player.
8) The views and scenery on this course are awesome. Although there were a few things that detracted from the overall aesthetics, overall this was a pretty course and property.
9) Awesome elevation change on quite a few holes. It mostly plays down the hills but there are a couple tough uphill holes too.
10) Nice variety of foliage density working through some tight woods, a few more open turfed holes, and some holes with just a handful of trees acting as obstacles to your throws.
11) Shot shaping has plenty of variety here. You definitely want to consider all obstacles and play placement disc golf to avoid bad skips and ending up in some of the briars and brush.
Cons:
1) The rough on this course is extremely punishing, visually unappealing, and simply dangerous in spots in terms of having to walk around or over it. In a lot of places the brush that was cut down or removed is simply piled just off to the side of the fairway making for a messy looking fairway and a difficult obstacle to climb up and over.
2) There are some really dangerous areas on this course. The walk path definitely comes into play on 5 or 6 holes to some level and it is completely blind on a couple holes. That is a recipe for disaster unless it is hardly ever used . . . however I was there late in the fall and saw at least 8 walkers or bike riders on the paths and not a single other disc golfer. If people get used to going through there without interference of disc golfers they would be more likely to get hurt because they will not expect a disc at all.
3) Hole distance variation is not that great. These are mostly longer holes in the 300' range with only a couple holes in the 200's and 3 or 4 in the 400's plus the one 600'. I would prefer to see some shorter acerun/deuce or die holes mixed in instead of some of those extra 300' holes. While there is an argument about appropriate distances by skill level, I also think an argument can be made that a large variety of hole distance can improve the design, playability, and fun factor of a course.
4) There are a few dangerous fall-a-ways around some teepads that could cause an injury. Hopefully when they have more time they can level off a larger area for the run-up and/or the follow through.
5) Compaction and erosion are every present on this course. I can only imagine what this course is built on, and I can imagine that growing turf in this ground would be very difficult. I hate to see these issues on incredible courses because it really does take an incredible course and knock it down at least 1-2 notches.
2) There are some really dangerous areas on this course. The walk path definitely comes into play on 5 or 6 holes to some level and it is completely blind on a couple holes. That is a recipe for disaster unless it is hardly ever used . . . however I was there late in the fall and saw at least 8 walkers or bike riders on the paths and not a single other disc golfer. If people get used to going through there without interference of disc golfers they would be more likely to get hurt because they will not expect a disc at all.
3) Hole distance variation is not that great. These are mostly longer holes in the 300' range with only a couple holes in the 200's and 3 or 4 in the 400's plus the one 600'. I would prefer to see some shorter acerun/deuce or die holes mixed in instead of some of those extra 300' holes. While there is an argument about appropriate distances by skill level, I also think an argument can be made that a large variety of hole distance can improve the design, playability, and fun factor of a course.
4) There are a few dangerous fall-a-ways around some teepads that could cause an injury. Hopefully when they have more time they can level off a larger area for the run-up and/or the follow through.
5) Compaction and erosion are every present on this course. I can only imagine what this course is built on, and I can imagine that growing turf in this ground would be very difficult. I hate to see these issues on incredible courses because it really does take an incredible course and knock it down at least 1-2 notches.
Other Thoughts:
Definitely if this course had a bunch of volunteer labor and people took care of the issues that are holding it back this course would be one of the most epic courses I have played. It has the scenery, it has the challenge, it has the shot shaping needed, it has epic and uniquely memorable shots . . . it has some of everything and would definitely rise above many good to great courses out there. I am not sure it would end up as a 5 disc course, but it wouldn't be far behind. It all comes down to how much time the course workers have to invest in cleaning it up!
I am giving this course a 4.0 with the understanding that it is about 3.75 in its current conditions. I cannot give it higher than a 4 because some of the negatives are bad enough to hold it back, but with that said if I was giving the disc golf only a rating it would probably be a 4.5. There just are enough important things that I think are really lacking or holding this course back from being incredible. I think over time the course will continue to get better
I am giving this course a 4.0 with the understanding that it is about 3.75 in its current conditions. I cannot give it higher than a 4 because some of the negatives are bad enough to hold it back, but with that said if I was giving the disc golf only a rating it would probably be a 4.5. There just are enough important things that I think are really lacking or holding this course back from being incredible. I think over time the course will continue to get better
Designer response by superberry
Addressing the issue of distances. I cannot find my original course design notes and have not used a laser range finder recently to determine the actual distances, but I KNOW that what is listed here and on the signs is wrong, and in some cases elevation addition/deduction was made and some cases it was not made. All in all though, there are more sub-300' holes than would appear...
Hole 1 is about 290'
Hole 3 is 250' but 25-30' uphill
Hole 5 is less than 275' I believe
Hole 8 is only 250' or so.
Hole 9 is actually only 285' at best (sign says like 315' I think!)
Hole 12 is 270' but uphill.
Hole 17 is 200' but requires throwing across a 30' wide section of the river at 75-90% down the fairway.
You are absolutely correct - a stronger contingent of dedicated local volunteers would bring this course up a few notches! Those asthetics and landscaping items would work into the mix, brush would get cleared up, and you'd see a beautiful course emerge simply by being used more.
The walking path (paved) was a conscious decision to use and a joint agreement with the chamber of commerce. Overall use is relatively low, and use of disc golf was anticipated to be somewhat low so the probability of conflict was estimated to be low. Signs were supposed to be installed to alert disc golfers to yield at all times on all tees. The walking path holes were also designed with the intent to be played as OB on all holes. I think it has not been signed or played this way.
More work, more play, and more feedback will help the Tailings grow! Come play some extreme disc golf - if that's your thing!
Hole 1 is about 290'
Hole 3 is 250' but 25-30' uphill
Hole 5 is less than 275' I believe
Hole 8 is only 250' or so.
Hole 9 is actually only 285' at best (sign says like 315' I think!)
Hole 12 is 270' but uphill.
Hole 17 is 200' but requires throwing across a 30' wide section of the river at 75-90% down the fairway.
You are absolutely correct - a stronger contingent of dedicated local volunteers would bring this course up a few notches! Those asthetics and landscaping items would work into the mix, brush would get cleared up, and you'd see a beautiful course emerge simply by being used more.
The walking path (paved) was a conscious decision to use and a joint agreement with the chamber of commerce. Overall use is relatively low, and use of disc golf was anticipated to be somewhat low so the probability of conflict was estimated to be low. Signs were supposed to be installed to alert disc golfers to yield at all times on all tees. The walking path holes were also designed with the intent to be played as OB on all holes. I think it has not been signed or played this way.
More work, more play, and more feedback will help the Tailings grow! Come play some extreme disc golf - if that's your thing!
5
1
Hfactor
Experience:
17.8 years
38 played
11 reviews
Magical Pad fairy! Please place cement pads on this course. 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Oct 26, 2012
Played the course:once
Pros:
This course is scenic, fun, a challenge, has unique holes that will test your long and short game and you will want to play the course again.
The map was good and any sign I looked at was good. Lots of elevation on this course!
The map was good and any sign I looked at was good. Lots of elevation on this course!
Cons:
Rubber tee pads that are sometimes too short or more like if you overstep you will have a very bad time... for the rest of your life... There is lots of water, the river and quarry come into play on many holes, gl finding your disc. Some of the rough requires climbing up and down steep slopes to get your disc, if you are prone to throwing in the rough then its going to be a painful round.
Other Thoughts:
Playing doubles made the round more fun since it was my first time and I had a good deal of rough shots. A lot of the holes offer blind shots which I think are a lot of fun but also throw off disc selection and aim. Playing a course for the first time is usually more fun playing doubles or cali.
Make sure you get the course map. There is something similar to an RV park that has a Office and they had scorecards there with maps on them (yay maps!)
GOOD GOD THROW A BIG HEIZER ON 13!@!!
I know its tempting to try and park it, but that will get you in or past the river.
I guess highbridge or some other good courses in Wisconsin are nearby. Other than that, as I am from Michigan there is no other discgolf near this course, not until you get to the Mackinaw bridge 4½ hours away. Its a good 9 hours from Lansing.
This course is probably unplayable / under snow / your going to lose every disc you throw during a good portion of the winter months.
I'm not sure if I should con the rubber pads. It would be extremely hard for them to get all cement pads on this course. Although, the few short pads I chanced to step on were a joke. The Long pads were much better.
I lost a yellow pro-d Zone somewhere between hole 7 and 13, left it in the fairway. If you find it email [email protected] or call 5175154236 ill pay for shipping.
I also lost a pink opto flow on hole 13. It either went in the bend on the river or just past the river. That disc has my name and # but I doubt someone is going ot find it.
Make sure you get the course map. There is something similar to an RV park that has a Office and they had scorecards there with maps on them (yay maps!)
GOOD GOD THROW A BIG HEIZER ON 13!@!!
I know its tempting to try and park it, but that will get you in or past the river
.I guess highbridge or some other good courses in Wisconsin are nearby. Other than that, as I am from Michigan there is no other discgolf near this course, not until you get to the Mackinaw bridge 4½ hours away. Its a good 9 hours from Lansing.
This course is probably unplayable / under snow / your going to lose every disc you throw during a good portion of the winter months.
I'm not sure if I should con the rubber pads. It would be extremely hard for them to get all cement pads on this course. Although, the few short pads I chanced to step on were a joke. The Long pads were much better.
I lost a yellow pro-d Zone somewhere between hole 7 and 13, left it in the fairway. If you find it email [email protected] or call 5175154236 ill pay for shipping.
I also lost a pink opto flow on hole 13. It either went in the bend on the river or just past the river. That disc has my name and # but I doubt someone is going ot find it.
6
0
stealthfalcon84
Experience:
12.1 years
17 played
2 reviews
A tough and enjoyable experience 2+ years drive by
Reviewed:
Played on:Jun 2, 2012
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
+ Very creative hole designs
+ Hole 11 has you throwing from the top of a huge hill with a dog leg to the left. It's a blast to watch your disc sail forever (provided you get a good throw!)
+ Extremely varied terrain. Lots of rugged hills, trees and dried creek beds. The Iron River runs along the course, creating a water hazard for a few of the holes
+ Good use of obstacles (one basket is between the arch of an old railroad support, nice!)
+ Not a lot of traffic means you don't have to wait to tee off very often
+ There are usually maps of the course at the beginning
+ For the most part it is well signed, with arrows pointing to the next tee and most holes have a sign showing the layout.
+ Two sets of tees
+ Most of the tee boxes are in good shape (rubber mats)
+ Hole 11 has you throwing from the top of a huge hill with a dog leg to the left. It's a blast to watch your disc sail forever (provided you get a good throw!)
+ Extremely varied terrain. Lots of rugged hills, trees and dried creek beds. The Iron River runs along the course, creating a water hazard for a few of the holes
+ Good use of obstacles (one basket is between the arch of an old railroad support, nice!)
+ Not a lot of traffic means you don't have to wait to tee off very often
+ There are usually maps of the course at the beginning
+ For the most part it is well signed, with arrows pointing to the next tee and most holes have a sign showing the layout.
+ Two sets of tees
+ Most of the tee boxes are in good shape (rubber mats)
Cons:
-The terrain isn't always maintained very well. The fairways aren't cut.
- A walking path runs through the course, meaning you sometimes have to watch out for people walking. This doesn't happen often and every person we encountered on the path was very friendly.
- I believe it's hole 15 that you have to walk a long ways back up the course from 14 to get to the tee. It's the only hole that the tee isn't fairly close to the previous hole, otherwise course flows very well.
- A walking path runs through the course, meaning you sometimes have to watch out for people walking. This doesn't happen often and every person we encountered on the path was very friendly.
- I believe it's hole 15 that you have to walk a long ways back up the course from 14 to get to the tee. It's the only hole that the tee isn't fairly close to the previous hole, otherwise course flows very well.
Other Thoughts:
I really like this course a lot. It can be very challenging and punishing for the beginner player. This is probably not the course you want to bring someone who has never played the game before to. Make sure to wear proper footwear for going up and down steep and rocky hills. There often tends to be long grass and unless you're a really good shot, you'll probably be playing from some of the incredibly wild roughs. Bring extra discs along. We've lost a disc each time my group has played. We're definitely beginners, so intermediate/advanced players might not have this issue. I really hope a lot of people play the course and make suggestions/comments to the city of Iron River so they will stay committed to it. It's a wonderful course and I'd hate to see it go to waste.
11
1
What a great experience 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Aug 3, 2010
Played the course:once
Pros:
This is like no course I've played before. The variety is amazing. Long, flat and straight. Big uphill with a nearly 180 degree turn. HUGE downhill with a left dogleg. Left and right finishing holes. Elevated tees and baskets. Throwing across a river. Blind shots and a hidden basket that you can't see until you get 10 feet from it.Only 2 holes are under 300', the shortest being 208'. The longest hole according to the tee signs is 462', but hole 11 (no sign) seemed like at least 500'. Most of these are also bordered by rough that I can only describe as brutal. The terrain is rugged and beautiful.
Cons:
There are no tee pads down yet, only dirt. A couple of the tee areas look like they will be kind of short for anyone who needs a lot of room. A couple tee signs were missing. A little better direction from basket to next tee might be in order. This course is a workout, a couple benches along the way would be nice.
Other Thoughts:
Here are some things that I recommend you bring: extra discs (unless you plan on not making any bad throws), long pants (unless you don't plan on looking for any bad throws), sturdy shoes, preferably with good ankle support, an emergency disc repair kit (a cig lighter), and more extra discs. This course is a great experience. I'm looking forward to playing it with tee pads, should be soon! I hate to look like a copycat on my rating, but Superberry's rating of 4 is on the money at this point, in my opinion. Given the variety and level of difficulty and scenery, it has to be more than a 3.5. But without tee pads (yet), and incomplete signage, I can't give it a 4.5. When those things are complete, I'd definitely give it a 4.5. I've never played a 5 disc course, so I can't make that comparison, but I wouldn't say it's out of the question.
18
2
Best in the UP - BY FAR! Local dedication and more land use could make it a 5! 2+ years
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Jul 26, 2014
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
Balance and Variety galore. Here you'll play along the river, throw across the river, play uphill, downhill, across hill, anhyzer, hyzer, straight, wooded, open, etc!
Blue tee design offers some amazing challenges and require a variety of shots in your bag and shot placement to avoid tricky areas.
Memorable holes such as #17 across the river, par 4 #11 downhill along the old gravel road, #13 which is just about as much elevation drop as it is distance, the elevated washout gully hole #4, and the awesome tree on #5 that really shapes your shot off the tee.
Water hazard in play with the river on #1, #2 & #16 a little, and #17 throwing over it from a narrow window off the tee. This creates a nice OB hazard, and the walking path (or across it) could introduce even more OB and require careful shot placement.
Risky greens placed near hazards, trees, and sharp elevation changes will make you contemplate your upshot and rifling your putt at the pin. I like this.
The course is strenuous and offers a workout playing uphill, dowhill, uphill, downhill.
The trees left on the wooded holes are great design elements. They offer a slightly more obvious specific route to the pin, but leave open options for other routes.
Nice flat rubber mats for tees (except tee #7 where the sign and tree are too close)
Blue tee design offers some amazing challenges and require a variety of shots in your bag and shot placement to avoid tricky areas.
Memorable holes such as #17 across the river, par 4 #11 downhill along the old gravel road, #13 which is just about as much elevation drop as it is distance, the elevated washout gully hole #4, and the awesome tree on #5 that really shapes your shot off the tee.
Water hazard in play with the river on #1, #2 & #16 a little, and #17 throwing over it from a narrow window off the tee. This creates a nice OB hazard, and the walking path (or across it) could introduce even more OB and require careful shot placement.
Risky greens placed near hazards, trees, and sharp elevation changes will make you contemplate your upshot and rifling your putt at the pin. I like this.
The course is strenuous and offers a workout playing uphill, dowhill, uphill, downhill.
The trees left on the wooded holes are great design elements. They offer a slightly more obvious specific route to the pin, but leave open options for other routes.
Nice flat rubber mats for tees (except tee #7 where the sign and tree are too close)
Cons:
There is too much crowding in a few areas where tees and baskets are close to one another (holes 8/9 and 10-12). It shouldn't be a problem unless the course is very crowded though.
The rough is rough and thick, very full of a lot of the brush and junk that was dozed off of the fairways because construction of this course took place on a very overgrown piece of property. This is not a huge con because I believe that an errant shot should be punished and that might mean taking a stroke just to kick out to the fairway.
Just one set of permanent tees. This course is so tough, and in such a non-disc golfing community that shorter tees are a must for noobs and families.
More than 18 holes would be nice, and the property is there.
Alternate pin placements would showcase more of the neat features.
A Gold tee on a few holes would be a GREAT touch for big arms and add some par 4 or 5 holes!
The safety associated with the old mining topography keeps us from being able to utilize the land to its fullest and create some AMAZING holes!!! When you get near the ponds on hole 6, 7, etc, just imagine throwing across or up and down that elevation!!!
The rough is rough and thick, very full of a lot of the brush and junk that was dozed off of the fairways because construction of this course took place on a very overgrown piece of property. This is not a huge con because I believe that an errant shot should be punished and that might mean taking a stroke just to kick out to the fairway.
Just one set of permanent tees. This course is so tough, and in such a non-disc golfing community that shorter tees are a must for noobs and families.
More than 18 holes would be nice, and the property is there.
Alternate pin placements would showcase more of the neat features.
A Gold tee on a few holes would be a GREAT touch for big arms and add some par 4 or 5 holes!
The safety associated with the old mining topography keeps us from being able to utilize the land to its fullest and create some AMAZING holes!!! When you get near the ponds on hole 6, 7, etc, just imagine throwing across or up and down that elevation!!!
Other Thoughts:
I first played the course without rubber tee pads installed (or even tees being levelled), and without signs. But I played the inaugural round with designer Bruce and it was great! I was looking forward to it all day, to see what had become of the course we walked down in March and just then began to clear the tons of brush and trees. It did not disappoint! I have played every other UP course (with the exception of the new one in the Sault) and this one is BY FAR the best design of them all and the best overall looking course. The UP can finally say they have a course that LOOKS like a course!
I can't wait for the signs and tees to be installed so we can make another road trip here!
I hope the paved walking path is marked and utilized as OB like we discussed. This will add another element of accuracy and shot placement required for holes 1, 18, 13, and 16!
I will be here to play numerous times. Bruce is really the designer and made all this happen, he only had me up there for a day to get some input on proposed tee and basket locations, and a couple hole designs (thank me for #4 and #13 and the elevated long tee on #7).
Some of the pictures posted right now (June 2010) are slightly off and mislabeled.
With fully installed/levelled red tees to offer all the newbies a chance to avoid the harsh punishment Tailings can offer, a bit more fine tuning of all the construction debris that has gone on, and better defined OB with the walking path on all impacted holes, this course could be a 4.5 (very close already!). A handful of VERY tight tunnel holes under a wooded canopy, a few longer tees/open holes (gold tees) to really let you rip on it, and a spattering of alternate pin placements - this course would be a 5. If more holes were added here, these types would be part of the mix and this course would be a 5 without question (more than 18 holes here would make it a destination course for the remote area)!
I love the course and hate the punk vandal kids who hang around the property wrecking things!
UPDATE: I've played numerous times now and love the challenge and thinking man's game that the Tailings lays out for you. I know that short tees may be coming and we saw some potential for them during the Rum Rebellion tournament. Once they're in, I'm bumping to a 4.5! If alternate sleeves were added in a few places to change up the already great variety and a few problem areas were smoothed out, I'd consider a 5!
10/11/2011: With the shorter RED tees we played during the Rum Rebellion annual tournament, I have a sense that these are a sign of what's to come. OB with respect to the paved walking path was also clarified at the event. I'm bumping my rating to 4.5. This is a phenominal (beatdown) course with lots of amazing terrain being fully utilized.
I can't wait for the signs and tees to be installed so we can make another road trip here!
I hope the paved walking path is marked and utilized as OB like we discussed. This will add another element of accuracy and shot placement required for holes 1, 18, 13, and 16!
I will be here to play numerous times. Bruce is really the designer and made all this happen, he only had me up there for a day to get some input on proposed tee and basket locations, and a couple hole designs (thank me for #4 and #13 and the elevated long tee on #7).
Some of the pictures posted right now (June 2010) are slightly off and mislabeled.
With fully installed/levelled red tees to offer all the newbies a chance to avoid the harsh punishment Tailings can offer, a bit more fine tuning of all the construction debris that has gone on, and better defined OB with the walking path on all impacted holes, this course could be a 4.5 (very close already!). A handful of VERY tight tunnel holes under a wooded canopy, a few longer tees/open holes (gold tees) to really let you rip on it, and a spattering of alternate pin placements - this course would be a 5. If more holes were added here, these types would be part of the mix and this course would be a 5 without question (more than 18 holes here would make it a destination course for the remote area)!
I love the course and hate the punk vandal kids who hang around the property wrecking things!
UPDATE: I've played numerous times now and love the challenge and thinking man's game that the Tailings lays out for you. I know that short tees may be coming and we saw some potential for them during the Rum Rebellion tournament. Once they're in, I'm bumping to a 4.5! If alternate sleeves were added in a few places to change up the already great variety and a few problem areas were smoothed out, I'd consider a 5!
10/11/2011: With the shorter RED tees we played during the Rum Rebellion annual tournament, I have a sense that these are a sign of what's to come. OB with respect to the paved walking path was also clarified at the event. I'm bumping my rating to 4.5. This is a phenominal (beatdown) course with lots of amazing terrain being fully utilized.
