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Zeeland Christian School reviews
10
0
Feel the Zeel! But not here. 2+ years
Reviewed:
Played on:Jun 1, 2021
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
Zeeland Christian School is located in a town of the same name. The town motto is "Feel the Zeel!" This motto is posted everywhere on those banners that hang from streetlight poles, and I think it's on the "Welcome to Zeeland" sign as well. On your way here you will drive through a nice residential neighborhood and then alongside the school, and finally turn into what initially looks like a service drive behind the school. Trust your GPS on this one. You will see a parking lot at the top of a hill with a small pavilion next to it. The course starts behind the pavilion.
This is a short 9-hole course. The nine baskets are all present and in good shape. The course info page identifies them as DN Liberty models. I knew that they weren't DISCatchers or Chainstars.
This is a short 9-hole course. The nine baskets are all present and in good shape. The course info page identifies them as DN Liberty models. I knew that they weren't DISCatchers or Chainstars.
Cons:
This course has a lot of issues.
Hole 1's tee is right next to Hole 9's basket. The tees are just kick boards that are set into the grass - no pads of any kind. All of the tee boards that are present have the hole number and distance routered in, and are within 10 feet or so of the previous basket. If multiple groups were playing this course at the same time this would be a major safety concern.
Hole 1 is a 180' throw along the top of the hill, over the corner of a basketball court and near two tetherball poles. If anyone was playing basketball or tetherball this hole would be unplayable.
Hole 2 is an open 160' downhill throw, with home plate of a baseball diamond behind the pin. On your right is thick brush that marks the border of private property. If your RHBH ace attempt anhyzers out you could possibly lose a disc in here.
I couldn't find a tee board for hole 3. According to the map it plays between the baseball diamond outfield and the same thick brush/private property to the right. Depending on where you tee off from, it might be around 300' which would make it the longest hole here.
Hole 4 plays along the back of the field with more thick brush on your right, but this time a creek is hidden in the brush.
Hole 5 is similar to hole 4 but the outfield fence constricts you to the left for the entire hole, making it more likely you will end up in the brush/creek to the right. It's only 10'-15' of open space in between, curving to the left with the outfield fence. A decent disc golfer might enjoy hitting that line just right with a nice RHBH hyzer (I almost did)...but for rec level players/students this hole is not a good idea.
Hole 6 has been moved since the satellite map posted here was made - it now continues along the creek with the open lawn on your left similar to hole 4.
Hole 7 has also been moved and shortened - the basket is now near the shed/building you can see on the map in the southeast corner of the field. I could not find a tee board for this hole either. By the way, the second baseball diamond shown on the map has been removed and it's now just more grass in that area.
Hole 8 now plays straight north and uphill past a large tree with low-hanging branches. I think this tree is the only obstacle on the entire course between tee and basket that isn't man-made. It's sort of a fun throw past the tree, but the parking lot is right behind the basket.
Hole 9 may be the worst idea of all. It throws next to the parking lot and past the pavilion, around a blind corner to a basket behind the pavilion. Parked cars and any people in or near the pavilion are very much in play on this hole.
So in summary...
- Lots of safety issues
- Lots of opportunities to lose discs
- Few to no obstacles or variety on any holes other than dodging various man-made objects
- Many holes unplayable if people are using the space for other activities
Hole 1's tee is right next to Hole 9's basket. The tees are just kick boards that are set into the grass - no pads of any kind. All of the tee boards that are present have the hole number and distance routered in, and are within 10 feet or so of the previous basket. If multiple groups were playing this course at the same time this would be a major safety concern.
Hole 1 is a 180' throw along the top of the hill, over the corner of a basketball court and near two tetherball poles. If anyone was playing basketball or tetherball this hole would be unplayable.
Hole 2 is an open 160' downhill throw, with home plate of a baseball diamond behind the pin. On your right is thick brush that marks the border of private property. If your RHBH ace attempt anhyzers out you could possibly lose a disc in here.
I couldn't find a tee board for hole 3. According to the map it plays between the baseball diamond outfield and the same thick brush/private property to the right. Depending on where you tee off from, it might be around 300' which would make it the longest hole here.
Hole 4 plays along the back of the field with more thick brush on your right, but this time a creek is hidden in the brush.
Hole 5 is similar to hole 4 but the outfield fence constricts you to the left for the entire hole, making it more likely you will end up in the brush/creek to the right. It's only 10'-15' of open space in between, curving to the left with the outfield fence. A decent disc golfer might enjoy hitting that line just right with a nice RHBH hyzer (I almost did)...but for rec level players/students this hole is not a good idea.
Hole 6 has been moved since the satellite map posted here was made - it now continues along the creek with the open lawn on your left similar to hole 4.
Hole 7 has also been moved and shortened - the basket is now near the shed/building you can see on the map in the southeast corner of the field. I could not find a tee board for this hole either. By the way, the second baseball diamond shown on the map has been removed and it's now just more grass in that area.
Hole 8 now plays straight north and uphill past a large tree with low-hanging branches. I think this tree is the only obstacle on the entire course between tee and basket that isn't man-made. It's sort of a fun throw past the tree, but the parking lot is right behind the basket.
Hole 9 may be the worst idea of all. It throws next to the parking lot and past the pavilion, around a blind corner to a basket behind the pavilion. Parked cars and any people in or near the pavilion are very much in play on this hole.
So in summary...
- Lots of safety issues
- Lots of opportunities to lose discs
- Few to no obstacles or variety on any holes other than dodging various man-made objects
- Many holes unplayable if people are using the space for other activities
Other Thoughts:
Based on my two visits to this course, the number one activity here day to day seems to be jogging down the hill from the parking lot through hole 9's fairway, then back up. That will probably remain the #1 activity going forward, although the baseball diamond looks pretty nice too.
I have played and reviewed quite a few recreational 9-hole courses like this. I know some people feel differently but personally I don't ever dial back my rating just because a course has only nine holes. What makes this course worse than other 9-holers then? My answer: Not only is it boring for serious disc golfers, but it is also not a good course for the recreational players and students that it was presumably designed for. There are way too many safety issues and opportunities for lost discs.
There are many other courses within a short drive that provide a better round - regardless of whether you are an experienced player looking for challenge, or a first-timer looking for a friendly pitch and putt. Zeeland has other community amenities and attractions to offer. Feel the Zeel there - save the disc golf for somewhere else.
I have played and reviewed quite a few recreational 9-hole courses like this. I know some people feel differently but personally I don't ever dial back my rating just because a course has only nine holes. What makes this course worse than other 9-holers then? My answer: Not only is it boring for serious disc golfers, but it is also not a good course for the recreational players and students that it was presumably designed for. There are way too many safety issues and opportunities for lost discs.
There are many other courses within a short drive that provide a better round - regardless of whether you are an experienced player looking for challenge, or a first-timer looking for a friendly pitch and putt. Zeeland has other community amenities and attractions to offer. Feel the Zeel there - save the disc golf for somewhere else.
11
0
A-to-....Zeeland. : 2+ years
Reviewed:
Updated:
Played on:Oct 12, 2013
Played the course:2-4 times
Pros:
- Zeeland's 9-hole course consists of mostly short, open, beginner friendly holes that wind ridiculously through every other park activity (including basketball, tetherball, soccer, baseball bleachers, baseball, walking paths, through the soccer again, and then to top it all off, 9's the signature hole with a spike hyzer up and over the concession stand and port-a-john to a pin tucked blindly in a spike hyzer kill zone.
- A bit of elevation, albeit on very short holes (#2 plays down a slight incline with bleachers ridiculous close to the pin, and #8 plays back up the grassy berm).
- Wooden boards in ground with fairly accurate distances and hole numbers. Natural tees present no drawback in this open short setting.
- A bit of elevation, albeit on very short holes (#2 plays down a slight incline with bleachers ridiculous close to the pin, and #8 plays back up the grassy berm).
- Wooden boards in ground with fairly accurate distances and hole numbers. Natural tees present no drawback in this open short setting.
Cons:
- Ho boy. This course winds though every other park activity. If ANY other people are doing ANYTHING, then the course is dangerously overlapping; play pretty much halts if the park is crowded. Right off the bat, hole #1 basically threads a short putter shot through tetherball and basketball poles, for example.
- Open, short, and very easy.
- Open, short, and very easy.
Other Thoughts:
- They tried, and the little bit of elevation as well as the one hole that is a bit longer (#3; around 330') save this from being a complete waste, but over all this course is a disaster from a safety standpoint. Also, anytime you have the possibility of showing up to a course and having it unplayable due to overlap with other activities, it really detracts from the overall experience.
