Vandalia, MI

Dr. Lawless Park

1.465(based on 13 reviews)
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8 0
RyanRio1324
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
0.00 star(s)

Don't Bother 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 22, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

Private - Can't imagine anyone goes.

Cons:

Hard to find course from the parking lot. Have to walk across wide open field with zero signage. Course is completely overgrown with zero maintenance. Tees are unkempt with no layout pics, etc.

Other Thoughts:

Drive a little further to Meyer Broadway. Professional 36 holes in an awesome outdoor atmosphere.
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17 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Neglected! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 19, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

The Dr. Lawless DGC has these really nice, extra long, concrete tee pads. The signs are basic but acceptable for this course.

Uh, Oh, Did I mention that the tee pads are really nice, extra long concrete ones.

That's kinda sums up the Pros. At this point, I would like to beg, borrow, steal and plagiarise some review lines from some previous reviewers. I don't remember exactly which course they were initially written for but they are so perfect for Doc Lawless's course.

Something along the lines of.....

Playing Dr. Lawless course, stand at 1st tee pad and fire your disc into a thick jungle like forest with no basket in sight.
Unless you happen to land on the 4 foot wide path, spend 15 minutes looking for lost disc.
Now tend to the blood running down your leg. A tourniquet is probably not yet needed.
Spend 20 minutes picking little sticky things off of your socks.
If the basket is now visible, proceed to throwing.

Hole 2. Fire your disc off into the thick jungle. The basket is not visible.
Spend 20 minutes hunting for lost disc.
As your bending over to look, a stick pokes out your eye. Eyeball is now lying on your cheek. Attempt to force it back into it's socket.
Finish hole hole.

Hole 3. While holding eyeball in socket, fire disc into jungle area.
Looking for disc is much more difficult with only one eye operating properly.
Might think about that tourniquet now.

Now multiple this times 6 and you have an idea what playing a round at Dr. Loveless DGC is currently like.



Cons:

The course is probably very technical when it was cleared. It's not playable at this time.

To get to the neglected disc golf course, walk across the neglected softball field. Course starts near the right field corner. Ther is a neglected kiosk here and also a neglected course sign.

Costs $2 to park.

Aprroximately 16 baskets are currently blind off the tee.

On # 4, a large tree has fallen over and completely covered the basket. This wasn't a recent blowdown. The tree is brown and dry. Obviously, no-one cares enough to cut it up. Add 1-2 strokes onto par for this basket-covered by tree hole.

The # 8 basket is actually visible from the tee box. However, the fairway is 205 long and 5 feet wide. Good luck on that hole. And the rough is thick and meancining. Another hole where skipping it is the wiser play.

There are a few garbage cans scattered about.

Many of the signs are facing the opposite direction of the actual basket. One can usually deduct this by looking both ways and determining that there once was a path leading off in one direction. If you want to play Russian Roulette with your disc, throw in that direction. Be aware, there is no fairway to speak of.

Other Thoughts:

As I was finishing my round (and I use that term very loosely here) I hear through the jungle/forest two voices laughing and having a great time. Naturally, I can't get a visual on them through the thick undergrowth but I attempt to converse with them. Basically, I ask them what the "F" are you doing out here in the jungle. There are no tigers to hunt for, we're in SW Michigan, for god's sake. They were actually playing a round and having a great time spotting for each other and searching for discs. I never got close enough to them to determine either their IQ or their sobriety. My guess is they were on meth!

Avoid this course!
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6 0
Mishawaka Diskers
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
0.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 17, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Not very many pros here. The tees are fairly new and all in good repair. The baskets are all in good repair and have orange flags on top to help you see them. New signs at every tee. Not much to them though, just a 4x4 in the ground with the hole number and distance. The only other pro here would be if you're a nature person and enjoy a walk in the woods.

Cons:

If you got some tees and baskets and put them in the middle of the forest then you would have Dr. Lawless dg course. There are no fairways at all. It's playing dg in poison ivy and thorn bushes while getting eaten alive by bugs. The trails are just small ones from people walking. Hard to find all the holes and the map doesn't help much. Even perfect throws end up in thorn bushes here. There are several elevation changes here, which would be nice but walking up a hill through thorn bushes and thick brush is no fun. A big waste of 2$.
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7 2
apdrvya
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 13.9 years 350 played 293 reviews
2.50 star(s)

better than advertised. 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 9, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Aesthetic-- Multi-use park but the area for dg is shared 50/50 with hiking trails/mountain bike trails. Neither seems very busy at any one time. as a side note, the baseball field basepaths seem very short...

Routing- Decent, the new signage makes it relatively easy to figure out where you are going and worn paths (even in the winter) make it even easier.

Teepads- although they are/were relatively snow covered, they are long and have built in roughness and were very "grippy" even in the snow.

Signage- better than what was there before (as was evident by the fact that there were still some of the old signs left)

Baskets- Mach II's in decent repair and have ribbons all over them for visibility (?) many of the "baskets" were slanted.

The Creek- it's purdy and a nice change of scenery.

Cons:

Variety- Not much here. alot of the holes are very similar to each other.

Fairways- not very distinct in a lot of places a lot of poke and hope here.

Rough- sucks. punishing and potentially dangerous with a TON of poison ivy aerial roots. The sink holes here are potentially dangerous when slick.

Only one bench- yep, I said it, I'm old and appreciate a bench now and then.

Other Thoughts:

This course could be pretty sweet, much like myles kimmerly with some TLC. unfortunately it seems almost a forgotten course. and the reviews aren't helping to bring in some good people to help with work. lets get some updates people!
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12 0
Jukeshoe
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.6 years 315 played 266 reviews
2.50 star(s)

The Dr. Has A Cure For What Ails You 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 10, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Dr. Lawless Park is home to numerous mountain bike trails, baseball diamonds, pavilions, a few marshy areas that don't come into play, and heavily-wooded hills. The disc golf course can be located by following the first base line of the nearest ball diamond to #1's tee at the wood line. Say goodbye to open spaces as Dr. Lawless' dense trees and thick underbrush conspire to brutalize errant shots for the next 18 holes.
- The Dr. does a convincing job serving up one particular brand of disc golf: thickly wooded short holes that place a premium on line-shaping while navigating a plethora of moderate elevation changes in conjunction with an endless supply of mature trees.
- Excellent use of elevation. A wealth of decent-sized ups and downs are put to great use throughout the course. The variety in the way the elevation changes come into play from hole to hole is above average, and definitely the hallmark of this course. #3's basket sits on a narrow strip of land with small gullies running down each side into a fairly deep valley. With the hole being under 200', the possibility of going long into the deep rough is very real. #9 shoots over a small dip in the land with deep rough to both sides and an area of safety in the circle. Generally speaking, each hole contains some sort of positive use of elevation.
- Great use of the forest. The designers did a great job of creating fair but challenging holes that test line-shaping abilities while throwing both uphill and downhill. The trees get pretty tight in spots, but nothing is unfair or ridiculous. The thick rough provides severe but fair punishment for errant shots. Hitting your lines cleanly off the tee will result in a ton of birdies. Missing them can be an adventure.
- There are a multitude of paths running between the various holes, which has to help ease congestion during crowded course conditions as one can skip around as needed.
- Long, fairly new-ish looking concrete tees. They're a bit on the narrow side but otherwise pretty good. Wooden posts serve as the signs. Each post lists the hole number, distance, and par. On some holes, small wooded signs are also present. Baskets for the most part (see cons) are in good shape, and each has several orange ribbons attached, to aid in finding them through the trees. Several trash cans throughout help keep the course mostly devoid of litter.
- Although the course is near the ball diamonds and mountain bike trails, The Dr. has a pleasant nature vibe that for the most part is secluded from other park activities.

Cons:

- The baskets for hole #'s 10 and 12 are currently missing (as of 11/10/12).
- I have no problem with punishing roughs, but when the majority of the course contains various thorns, stickers, and thistles it kinda starts to suck a bit. If you can't hit the fairways consistently, be sure to wear pants or risk looking like you're emo and have developed a cutting problem.
- While the many trails are probably a "pro" once you're familiar with the layout, they don't really help with navigation the first time through. Next tee signs exist in a few spots, but often in strange places where not needed. In other spots with a couple of different path options and a long walk to the next tee, nothing appears to help guide first timers.
- I dunno, this is difficult to hold against the course per se, but the nearby hog farm really stinks.

Other Thoughts:

- Experts won't find much challenge here and will most likely find the thorns a deal breaker. For advanced players, Dr. Lawless offers a great technical workout for putters or mid-ranges. Beginners will find a wealth of fair but challenging variations on the main theme.
- I went into Dr. Lawless with low expectations given its rating (I don't usually read reviews prior to playing a course, but I often check the overall disc rating). I was pleasantly surprised to find a fun, interesting course that thoroughly explores a multitude of variations on a singular theme. I enjoyed the course enough to alter my plans and play a second round. Definitely a solid little course that deserves more respect than it has gotten.
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5 1
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.1 years 831 played 767 reviews
2.00 star(s)

There's potential here 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 26, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course plays through a heavily wooded area with some small elevation changes. The hills are used pretty well to add challenge and variety. Though the holes are all pretty short, there's a nice variety of hole shapes, with left and right turning holes and early and late turns. I threw putters for just about every drive here, but I still had to get creative on several shots. There is a course map online that's mostly helpful in following the course layout.

Cons:

It seems like there have been multiple rounds of changes made to this course. That leaves it feeling unfinished and rough. There are some basic signs, but many of the tees are unmarked dirt spots. That makes it difficult to find the tees, and leaves you with no clue as to the direction or distance to the hole. It also leaves a lot of navigation issues. The map doesn't always match the current layout, so even looking at the map it's not necessarily obvious where to go next.

Many of the holes need a little more cleaning and clearing to have good golf lines. Most have thick brush with nasty thorns encroaching on the fairways so that even a good shot can end up in the rough. Some need just a few trees taken out to make them less luck-dependent holes.

Other Thoughts:

With some work on tees and signage, and a little clearing work, this could be a fun course. It's very short, so it's more geared toward beginners, though the thick thorny rough can be a bit punitive. More experienced players won't find it too challenging, but it could be a fun place to play a putter only round.
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5 2
HCHS.DGClub
Experience: 3 played 1 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Just Awful 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 3, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Secluded, wooded area
-wildlife (rabbits, frogs)
-low course traffic
-free

Cons:

Note: This review is written two years after the most recent review of the course; I am reporting on it as it was when I visited. It is different than it was two years ago.

-schule and ground cover everywhere; easy to lose discs
-poison ivy almost everywhere
-thorny brambles on every hole
-mosquito, gnat, and horse fly infested
-no "next tee" or tee pad signs after the first 8 holes
-virtually unidentifiable dirt tee pads
-overgrown course; nine-foot, fully matured weeds on the later holes
-all short holes

Other Thoughts:

Upon entering the park there is a tree with poison ivy growing up it and a sign explaining the aphorisms "leaves of three, leave it be" and "hairy vine, no friend of mine." Although I can see how such an exhibit can help educate park-goers, the irony of its existence is overwhelming when one enters the forrest of poison ivy that exists on the course.

With a house on Diamond Lake I'm in the area often and I was really hoping for this Vandalia course to be another quintessential escape from Chicago suburban life, but let it be known that this course is abyssmal.

Also: Bug spray does nothing to keep the Michiana horse flys away.
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4 0
TimSyl
Experience: 17.1 years 172 played 35 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Improved 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 10, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

New holes make this course more challenging.

Available lines to every basket, a lot of trees but not just luck

Good mix of righty, lefty, and straight holes

secluded, never busy

schule being removed slowly but surely

many risk reward shots

cement pads

Cons:

lack of length. Available land was used in redesign, park limited our options. Some great land east and north of the current course, but hunting is allowed there so probably not a good idea to use that area

Other Thoughts:

Still a short course, but much more challenging than in the past. Most people still won't need a driver very often. On the old course you expected to deuce just about every hole...now you hope you can get 6-9 of them. Course has little temp signs now for navigation...new ones ASAP.
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3 2
shaggz
Experience: 14.7 years 11 played 4 reviews
2.50 star(s)

It's better than it was 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 11, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Feel like the course is a little better now with the redesign. Previous design made this course "passable" to me, but the changes put in place made this course a little more decent.

Cons:

Redesign just needs to be finished, tee pads really need some attention.

Other Thoughts:

Just follow the right side of the baseball diamond by the corn field down the first baseline to find hole 1 of this newly redesign course.
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3 3
dusty
Experience: 35.8 years 25 played 1 reviews
2.00 star(s)

much improved 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 25, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

The biggest pro to this course is the near total re-design. Still a short course it is actually playable now. Was disappointed with 44 on old lay out happy with 50 on new.

Cons:

Tee pads are in bad shape. Missing basket on hole 1. Still a few fairways that aren't fairways. Lot of thorns.

Other Thoughts:

I wouldn't plan a trip to play this course but if your in the area and want to play a short but fun course it is now worth hitting.
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6 0
david_hedstrom
Experience: 19 years 62 played 10 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Not Worth your time 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 27, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good if you only want to practice your short, very short, game. Most holes are 110-190. I think I threw a driver on one hole...I guess one positive is that there is no trash on the course. This course would be a great beginner course.

Cons:

Way too short. Biggest con is that the layout is absolutely atrocious. There are 2 hole right next to the parking lot and then you walk 1000 ft to hole 3. We spent like 20 minutes just looking for the 3rd hole. Natural pads are not that great. Out of the way from mostly everything and not worth a drive out to the course. Some fairways are terrible, really small and not really a real fairway.

Other Thoughts:

Scott Wilson course designer of Meyer Broadway is redesigning a few holes ( I believe) which should add some distance and more of a challenge. I shot a 44 my first time playing this course. It seems like with all the land that the park has there could be a really great course here if a lot of work was done, which is sad because the course is soooo weak as is.
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6 1
Mark R
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.8 years 115 played 89 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 28, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Narrow paths through woods offer a chance to improve mid-range game. Decent baskets and signs. Back nine longer than front (about a 225' avg.). Many bird species (near a river, small lake and wetlands). Few other golfers.

Cons:

Basket nine missing, very short front nine overall. Dirt tee pads. Thick prickly brush may make discs disappear in summer. No wide open holes or holes over 300'.

Other Thoughts:

Nothing to go out of your way for, but should be a good course in windy and poor weather and is a pleasant hike.
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2 16
discNDav
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 37.8 years 436 played 91 reviews
0.00 star(s)

don't even think about it 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 15, 1999 Played the course:once

Pros:

none that I can think of, simply terrible in 1999. What else can I saw to get this review in?

Cons:

everything

Other Thoughts:

what a waste of 9 baskets. I've heard this course was destroyed by a tornado. It might of helped!
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