Kalamazoo, MI

Knollwood Park

2.395(based on 37 reviews)
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15 0
DFrah
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 5.8 years 227 played 225 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Short and Beat

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 23, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

Knollwood Park is tucked away near several apartment complexes in Kalamazoo, MI - close to the Western Michigan University campus. 18 holes of disc golf play generally clockwise around the park.

This course is very short, but plays in the woods on mostly tight but fair fairways. Being so close to campus, I suspect that it is a common play for college age rec players - and there are fun throws here for that level of play. Twelve varied holes in the 150'-200' range provide opportunities to shape shots off the tee in different ways and try for aces or birdies. Doing so is not entirely without risk though. A (very murky) pond in the center of the park is lurking to the right side of hole 4, and behind the basket on holes 11 and 13. These latter two hazards are not really obvious from the tee, so don't say I didn't warn you!

Some holes in the back nine have decent elevation change as well, particularly the last four holes.

The baskets are yellow banded DISCatchers that are showing their age. They still caught okay as far as I could tell, but will need some maintenance/replacement soon. One basket appeared to have already been replaced, as it looked brand new.

The tee pads are concrete. Like the baskets, a couple of them are getting awfully old. But overall they are still okay. There are a few trash cans and benches near tees.

The orange banded DISCatcher across the paved area from the first tee is a practice basket!

Cons:

There are several places where holes play close together. It would definitely be a problem if the park ever got busy.

This is very close to, if not THE shortest 18-hole course I have ever played. And among the easiest too. There are only three holes that are longer than 213' long, with the longest one only 270'. I play at an "experienced rec player" level, and (after starting my round with an absolutely egregious double bogey on the first hole) managed eight birdies, which I think is probably a single round record for me. Any moderate or advanced players are going to be throwing putters off the tee routinely, and looking for aces on almost every hole.

The tee signs looked like they used to be something better, but now they are just cracked wooden posts with a hole number Sharpie'd on. On some holes, even the posts were gone and only the concrete pad was left.

There aren't any navigational aids. You will need UDisc to navigate - or the course map uploaded here is still correct, other than...

There is no parking lot. Or rather - there is, but the gate allowing access to it seemed to be permanently closed. You'll need to park on the street outside of the park area, which is where the map here shows "Greenwood Ave" (but the actual street is Westbrook St.). Then, walk past the locked gate and follow the pavement down the hill to the left. The first tee is at the back of the pavement area.

There is no kiosk or porta potty.

Other Thoughts:

I would have loved to have this course within walking distance when I was in college, and I would likely be a better disc golfer today if I had. But as is, I doubt that I will return to this one that is almost an hour away from where I live. It is just too short - and also feels sort of neglected and abandoned.

I would not be surprised to see this land repurposed and become another apartment complex within the next few years. In the meantime, come play here if you're local and looking for a fun short course. But the rest of us can give this one a miss and head to better courses nearby.
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11 0
1-UP
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 56 played 20 reviews
2.00 star(s)

They certainly did love that "pond" 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 3, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

There's an astonishing amount of disc golf here crammed into a small plot of woods just off the WMU campus. The course plays in a wooded dip with a "pond" and marsh at the bottom. I'm not sure how they squirreled 18 holes onto the property, but it's a legit course to play even if the holes tend to run on the short side.

The holes are generally pretty good variety and there's some challenge here. Yes, it's an ace run course. I think I picked up 5 or 6 birds my first run through. That said, I bogied and double bogied several holes. Some of those strokes were just plain old tree kicks - this is a wooded course and while the fairways are more than fair sometimes you just hit the darn things.

Other strokes were caused by timid throws around the water feature. The pond is centered in the course and several holes play around it. Two involve fairly merciless dead putts with the water mere feet from the basket. Given how cramped the holes are, however, I'd say 5 or 6 holes have a very reasonable chance of ending up in the water on a long, flipped, or bad tree-kicked throw. The water did not strike me as the sort that you would easily get a disc out of, less so with thin layer of ice that was on them at the time. It adds an element of risk and challenge to the course to make up for the short distances of the holes.

Pads were all cement, though in various states of repair. Signs were sometimes but not always present for each pad. What was there looked nice. Benches or logs to sit on in a few spots.

Navigation was...acceptable by virtue of process of elimination. There just weren't many spots to put the next hole so you could usually figure out the path to take to the next one.

Cons:

I played this course on one of those steel-wool grey Michigan winter days shortly after New Years. The snow had uncharacteristically melted and I'm certain I saw the park in its least appealing context.

I had the park to myself, which was good. I simply don't see how players don't hit other groups here. The holes are "snug" to say the least. Thankfully there should not be a lot of full power drives, but there's simply no way the occasional throw doesn't end up in another fairway or tee box.

The park has an odd, almost unwelcoming feel to it. The gate was closed when I arrived. I didn't see any parking to speak of - other reviews mention a small lot but I didn't see anything. Maybe it was covered by leaves. I ended up parking in the street. Not 100% it was ok due to a sticker partially obscuring the parking sign but I didn't get a ticket.

Student housing/apartments surround the park. While I can see the woods having a sort of natural beauty in the summer, maybe, the looming buildings and tightly crammed holes give it a sort of claustrophobic feel.

Graffiti is rampant. Some of it is...unkind. It looks like there are park regulars that write messages to one another.

The baskets look like they've been painted over a few times. They have that gnarly multiple layers of paint look to them - they probably need to be pulled, sandblasted, and powder-coated again.

Speaking of baskets, remember how I said I double bogied a few holes? Embarrassing when they're that short, right? Part of it was the basket positioning. They reminded me of that kid Urkel's pants from Family Matters, hiked up about 6" to 12" too high. This caused my putting form a good deal of trouble, causing numerous 2 and 3 putt holes. I'm sure you get used to it, but it really threw me the first time through, ESPECIALLY combined with that pond in the background for a few of them.

There's still trash. It wasn't as bad as other courses I've been to, not as good as others. Mostly alcohol bottles, some shattered.

One of the pads looked darn near shattered. You could play on it, but it was pretty broken up. I believe some of the other pads may have been cracked.

Other Thoughts:

This course is in an odd position. I almost gave it a 1.5 until I really thought about why I was leaning towards that score. I considered the lower score because I simply can't see a reason you'd come out to this course when others are so readily available in the area. Oshtemo and Spring Valley are minutes away, Cold Brook, Robert Morris, and VIRA not much farther. It's a course a local would go to for the sake of variety or convenience off of campus. I'd never make a special trip to play it, but it's worth swinging by for a course bagger if they're in the area playing one of the others, especially in the off hours.

In a way, Kalamazoo is a bit spoiled with nice courses (ones they work hard at maintaining an putting in, to be sure!) and this course gets overshadowed by them. If I lived in the apartments or was frequently on campus, I'd likely play Knollwood. I'd probably be a better player for it as well as it is a good practice course for those upshots and putts.

I did take other reviewers' advice and only took two discs - a Buzzz and a stable putter. I didn't feel like I wanted much more other than fighting with my Buzzz flexing out of anny shots on me. That's where that practice I mentioned previously would come in - I don't normally force my Buzzz into that role and bringing only two discs forced me out of my comfort zone a bit (and padded my score, I'm sure).

The course is fine. If you're interested in trying different courses while you're in the area I'd hit it after going to the other "bigger" ones. Take two or three discs (preferably ones you might not mind losing in that very dubious pond) and try some technical shots you're not comfortable with.
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8 0
BuzzArmStrong
Experience: 15 years 50 played 15 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Old Jeans. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 5, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is that pair of old tattered jeans that your wife wants you to throw out but you refuse to do so.

There is a lot to like in my mind about small technical courses and that's what this is all about. I really enjoyed the mix of shots required to navigate the course. Hole 1 played the longest and is a 280 foot hyzer. That being said , you really don't need much more than a good midrange disc that you feel confident throwing on a variety of lines and a putter. I brought my entire bag and felt kind of dumb by the end of it because I didn't touch my drivers once.

Fairways are reasonable in terms of lines and there are enough trees to force you to hit your shot. If you do happen to hit a tree there isn't too much punishment except for the holes where the nasty brackish water comes in to play. So if you don't hit your line you're pretty much taking a 3. I couldn't see myself ever getting a bogg on this course unless I somehow hit the water.

The water really only comes in to play on two holes but I really like how it is brought in to play. The first hole in which water is present the basket sits on a narrow strip of land between two pits of nasty black water. This requires a really well controlled tee shot as well as testy putt.

The other hole on which the water comes into play is an approximately 190 foot semi open fairway with the basket at the top of the slope heading to the water. Again this requires a well controlled shot that is fairly testy especially considering the packed nature of the dirt at this course.

There is good use of the few hills in the park on the back 9 that require you to land and stop your disc on a down slope as well as a hole that uses the road going on to the park as an OB line.

There is surprisingly descent tee signs at most of the holes.

As you can see, I really liked this pair of jeans...and I'm sure at one point in time they were really nice...

Cons:

And then the jeans got worn every day for years on end until they were torn up and the fabric became paper thin.

A lot of the baskets are sitting strangely high and it seems as thought it may be simply because the dirt around them has just taken a pounding year after year. The baskets themselves catch reasonably still but are showing their age and are covered with graffiti.

The dirt throughout the entire course is packed down so hard that nothing will grow. When your disc hit the ground dry dirt immediately kicks up all around it. You certainly have to play with the expectation that your disc will slide an extra 10-20 feet upon landing if it is hitting the ground at a flat angle.

The water that is present is pretty nasty looking and pretty stagnant in a few areas.

The trash cans haven't been emptied in a while and a few of them look like they've been tipped and bottles were strewn about.

In a few spots there was an excessive amount of broken glass from the nearby apartment complex. Their balcony overlooks the hole and it seems like they like throwing empty liquor and beer bottles at the basket instead of discs. A shame that people act this way.

The area surrounding the course and just the feel of the course itself is best described as scuzzy. It just didn't FEEL particularly clean or safe. It felt like a course that hadn't been cared for which is probably mostly true and considering no matter how much work you put into the course it would probably be quickly undone by the traffic from the university I can understand why.

I would say at one point the ceiling for this course was probably a 3.25 rating, but that time is no more and I doubt it every will be again.

You want to keep wearing the jeans, and at one point they were probably pretty nice jeans...but you know deep down that you have better jeans to wear...I'd play this course again in a pinch, but there are better courses near by that aren't so abused.

Other Thoughts:

I really liked the course in and of itself. It has a fun variety of shots that are not overly punishing if you miss your line. It's certainly good if you only have time for a short round and are in the area...But if you're in the area and you only have time for one course do yourself a favor and play either Oshtemo or Spring Valley. Both courses are far superior in just about every way and are close by.
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9 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Fun Recreational Course Comes With Some Hazards! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 25, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

You might think Knollwood Park is a run down craphole when you drive up to the gate and there is a sign that says the park is closed. Plus, I had been told by some of Michigan's disc golfers that the place is a dump with broken glass over over the place. I went to play it in the afternoon and the gate was locked with no cars parked there. I proceeded to drive all over the neighborhood trying to find another entrance. No luck. Later that evening, we drove back to that locked gate and there were lots of cars parked there. We talked to some golfers and they directed us to the first tee.

Immediately, we were pleasantly pleased with all aspects of the park and the course. The course has concrete pads and excellent tee signs . The Discatchers are old, ugly but catch well enough. Knollwood is an enjoyable but challenging recreation course. It's more technical than long. I think 12 holes are under 200' and all are cool Ace runs. There is a nice variety of Ace runs, hysers, annies, uphills, and downhills. The rough is thick in places and water comes into play on three or four holes.

The park that I thought was pretty dingy, was actually pretty clean and graffiti free. We didn't think the garbage was that noticeable. There were a lot of golfers out tonight. The course is popular.

The basket placement on # 11 is pretty interesting. It seems on a small peninsula surrounded by the brackish water. And we didn't notice a smell from this water. Wouldn't want to bathe in it, though. Hole 1 is a 280' hyser shot through the trees throwing from a fun, slightly elevated pad. It 's a nice hole to start off your round.

Cons:

There is quite a bit of erosion and hard packed areas in most of the park. Some retaining walls and walkways could here with this problem.

No holes to even bring out your drivers. Players can play this course with mids and your putter.

The water is pretty snarky looking. I didn't want to step into it. Might be some hidden monsters lurking in the murky depths.

I think the multitudes of WMU students playing and hanging out here don't help with the course's poor image. The neighborhood around the park, which all seems to WMU student housing, seems really shabby. I'd call it university ghetto.

Other Thoughts:

Duane (bogeynomore) and I both liked this course. We had a great time playing it. It's just a nice course to play on that Friday night. Because of the water hazards and some treacherous rough, there is some element of pressure here. Hopefully, the WMU students can cease and desist from using this park at their personal dumping ground.
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5 0
ForearmGalore
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.8 years 248 played 42 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Fun, Quick and Birdies! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 6, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

-This is one the easiest courses to follow that I've ever played. Check the map before your round to understand Holes 10 and 15, other than that you gotta try really hard to get lost.
-This is definitely a good course to learn the game on. Little danger except on holes 4, 11, and 13 for water. There's danger on 12 as well, but I'll explain that in the Con section.
-Hole 11 is an island / peninsula hole right next to the pond in the middle of the course. Shot from the tee is a RH forearm or slow anny backhand. Walk up the fairway your first time to see how quickly it drops off, because it's quick. The reason this is a PRO and not a CON is that they've covered the ground surrounding the basket with sand so it will catch your disc instead of letting is skip. Sand extends about 30 feet or so each way where there is ground. Still probably want to look at this closely before you throw. Sand saved my favorite mid-range.
-Playable for either the forearm only or backhand only players. There's normally a better option, but the lane is there if you want to try something squirrely.
-Many of the other reviews say this place is a dump, but when I went there was barely any trash. None that I noticed anyway.
-Concrete pads, always a plus.
-Great course for Ace race

Cons:

-Hole 12 has some of the weirdest ground cover I've ever played disc golf near. The issue spot is BEHIND the basket only, so the fairway and the basket are clear. Shot looks longer than it is because it's uphill. DGCR has it listed at 172 which is probably accurate. Maybe 200 feet at most. The plants behind the basket are tall enough that they reach the middle of your shin, and they essentially serve as little umbrellas that prevent you from seeing the ground. I overthrew this drive and almost didn't bother even searching for my disc because you have to constantly kick the plants of the way just to see the ground.
-Not super challenging for skilled players. First time playing it I birdied 9 of the holes. Should have had a couple more.
-Course is next to an apartment complex that is CLEARLY full of WMU students. I played this over the summer, but my guess is that the place can get packed if you go during the spring/fall. This is mentioned in a few other reviews as well. I drove through the apartment complex once and saw two students with discs in their hands.
-No bathrooms
-Probably not enough parking to meet the need.
-Pond kind of smells, but I've been on worse courses for sure.

Other Thoughts:

Really a fun course to zip through or play with someone who's only half into the game. Plus, plenty of chances to ace.
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3 3
jdborden
Experience: 11.1 years 14 played 7 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Not pretty, but fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 10, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great place to learn the game

The guy that runs the place is very friendly and does a good job keeping it looking good (which is tough when you have frat houses right next door and people coming there just to drink and smoke)

Weekly tournaments

Lots of chances at an ace

Feels secluded even though you're in the middle of a lot of residential

Cons:

Trash can get out of control

The pond is very dirty

Normally crowded (luckily it's small so it still plays fast)

Other Thoughts:

This may not be the nicest looking course, but it's still one of my favorites. It's where I learned to play and I still go once in awhile because it's always fun. People don't give it good reviews because it's too short or has lots of trash, but it's not a city park so everyone has to help out and throw something away if you see it. There's trash and everywhere people.
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9 0
davetherocketguy
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.7 years 114 played 105 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Deucey Heaven meets a Scene from the Labyrinth 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 26, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Innova Discatchers old but in decent shape with their famous yellow top bands hideously graffitied up.
- Tee signs are gorgeous. Looks like they were put up this year. Too bad the vandals have already had their way with a few of them and too bad not all of them are on every hole.
- Pleasant elevation changes throughout the course in amongst the rolling hills. Not too many going uphill or too many going downhill.
- Fantastic use of water hazards on #11. This was far and away the most memorable hole on the course. Too bad the water looked as if it were infected by E Coli, diphtheria and every other stagnant waterborne disease known to mankind.
- There were some benches here and there but with a course this crazy short a bench on every hole really isn't needed.
- I really liked the evenly used left and right holes. While I didn't count how many went left vs. right Knollwood did not seem to favor righties or lefties.
- Concrete tee pads seemed a little on the small side but well constructed. I'm not going to deduct anything for their size because I mean...do you really need a 20' run up for a 180' hole? Nope.

Cons:

Um...wow...quite a few.

- First and foremost the erosion is WAY out of control here. I have never seen a course this badly eroded. It's so bad I think it's a serious environmental issue. Those little water hazards are going to disappear and the wetlands to the south of the course have to be suffering because of the crazy amount of silt washing off of this course.
- If I stood on the bank of the little pond in the middle of the course and closed my eyes I swear I could easily picture in my head a large red furred creature repeatedly saying, "SMELL BAD" with other assorted Jim Henson abominations running around as I proceed through the bog of eternal stench. (If you get that reference your childhood was pretty cool.)
- Trash...Good googly moogly there was A LOT of trash even though the park is technically closed.
- This course is unbelievably short. I'm a lowly Am3 and really wish I would have kept score. This is the first time playing it and I wasn't even trying very hard and I'm sure I scored in the high 40's as I am pretty sure I deuced about 12 or 13 of the holes. I can't imagine playing one of the tournaments here. That has to be deuce or die hell. Then again, there are advantages to playing well on such a short course as it kind of makes you feel like a disc golf God ready to take on the likes of Klimo, Lacastro or heck, even McBeth. Seriously though, this teeny tiny plot of land should not have 18 holes. It's absurd. There should not be more than 12 holes and even that would be a tight squeeze. Although, it could be rearranged to be an absolutely epic 9 holer.

Other Thoughts:

This course has obviously suffered under the abuse of hordes of WMU students with woefully underfunded or mismanaged disposable incomes. When they can't afford anything else there's always that free disc golf course down the street. As a result, this place is suffering badly and I don't have a clue how to stop it to make everyone happy. The City of K-Zoo could fence it all off and charge an entry fee but then the locals may take to the streets with burning couches and futons al a MSU.

I think drastic steps need to be taken on some of these eroding fairways. Terracing would go a long way here and so would the creation of wooden walkways and stairs going up and down the hills.

It's a fun course to be sure but for only once or twice through. Even my noodle arm is going to get bored here.
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5 1
muschy
Experience: 2.8 years 28 played 1 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Decent Short Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 18, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Short holes, no drivers needed, variety of shots and some tight lanes. Pads are in decent condition.

Cons:

Some trash around, baskets are too high. Two baskets are within feet of the water hazard, and if your disc goes in there...goodbye. That pond is like a black hole. Use caution!

Other Thoughts:

I went in winter before the snow hit and after finals... so no snow and no people lounging. The gate to the entrance was closed so thankfully two locals were playing and I just followed their lead (start just down the road at #17). One was an organizer of tourneys there and was very nice & informative.
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5 0
DoobieDiscer
Experience: 11.9 years 10 played 6 reviews
2.00 star(s)

just a mess 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 15, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

short holes, easy disc lines, makes you effectively shoot a mid range game, no need for any champion plastic drivers here. quick rounds.

Cons:

short course is an understatement, trash everywhere, downtown off of college dorms so they all troll around the tiny parking lot making hole #18 hard to shoot because people can be standing near the basket. alot of intersecting holes that zig zag all over the place so watch your face as you cross a path.

Other Thoughts:

this course is highly laughable, and it would take alot fo keep it nice...between all the "hipsters" getting in your way, and the abundance of trash everywhere, id rather go to oshtemo dgc or airzoo for a quick but more fun round.
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13 0
Jukeshoe
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.6 years 315 played 266 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Ace-tastic! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 21, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Knollwood park is a fun little wooded course with nice touches of elevation and water in just the right spots. This is the definition of pitch and putt, as no hole stretches over 270 ft., but there are just enough trees, elevation, and water to make this course worth a quick play.
- Water. There's not a lot of it, and it can be pretty easily avoided, but the tricky "invisible green" on #11 looks deceptively dry from the tee. The entire right side as well as directly behind the basket is mostly stagnant water, something that doesn't become obvious until you've taken a few steps towards the basket after teeing off.
- Elevation. Nothing "wow" but the little bit available is put to good use, especially on #'s 17 and 18. Hole #18 tees off downhill through large mature trees' trunks towards the basket below. Several of the greens play fast because of the combination of short length and loss of elevation.
- Well-worn with heavy usage, but with enough trees to provide several different looks or allow various shot options, from a line-shaping standpoint.
- Ace-tastic! Come with a putter and/or mid-range and get to work on those ace totals! Not boring by any means, but plenty of short holes that reward hitting the obvious line(s) with birdies and aces.

Cons:

- Terribly rutted natural tees (with the exception of hole #1 which if I remember correctly was concrete). The front of the teebox is marked with a wooden 4 x 4. The eroded tees often make the front of the box a
tripping hazard as the wooded markers stick out of the ground. Several of the tees were muddy and these have to be a nightmare in wet conditions.
- No real tee signs of which to speak.
- Not incredibly challenging. While it's fun enough as a putter/mid only sorta round, most experienced players would be served better by some of the other area courses.
- Pretty trashed, litter-wise.

Other Thoughts:

- Unfortunately, the traffic this course seems to see regularly typifies the worst of the disc golf stereotypes. While I'm far from an opponent of cracking down on what people do in their free time in the public parks (so long as they do it in a discreet manner that doesn't infringe on others' enjoyment of the park), the sort of behavior I witnessed at this park in my short time there was certainly of the sort that
not only gets courses pulled, but is also often used as arguments against putting in new courses. /soapbox
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10 2
apdrvya
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 13.9 years 350 played 293 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Like an Elvis Presley song... 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 1, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Aesthetic-- Park is pretty much single use. Very urban park but I didn't see much other use in this park. It was closed when I played but easy enough to get into. There will also be cons here.

Challenge--Though short, this course is good to work on midrange/putter line shaping. the little bit of elevation is used well.

routing-- relatively easy, even covered in leaves.

Risk v Reward-- present in the form of that nasty swamp. most folks skip those two holes.

Cons:

Aesthetic-- There are plenty of trashcans but they seem to be all emptied by "people" looking for cans. and then they just leave the trash on the ground.

Baskets-- Old DisCatchers some are single chains and they seem to be about a foot or two too high.... almost taller than me (6'4'') in some cases.

Challenge--Very short course, I think I ran 7 birdies when I played.

Surrounding neighborhood is Uber hinky and there isn't much fence around the park to keep the riff-raff out.

Pads--the tees are marked by kick-strip 4x4's in most cases. Deeply rutted but not dangerous.

Potential Danger- course plays over paths several times and once blindly over a footbridge.

Other Thoughts:

This course is a lot like Old Farm in Grand Rapids. buried in a neighborhood with short holes and not well taken care of.
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5 2
RedHotCujo
Experience: 21 years 255 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Under-rated fun short course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 6, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Each hole on the course is ace-able.
Many different shots required with a decent amount of trees.
Even though relatively "easy" with most shots under 250 or 200, it is a fun finesse course.
Quick to play (18 in about 45 minutes with two people) (could be a con too)
Tees are more distinct and the flow is very nice.
1 round and you'll know where you're going.

Cons:

Lots of vegetation in the summer, easy to lose one in the brush if you don't keep an eye on it.
Water plays on 3 holes by my count and 2 of them are really easy to get wet. (one is basically an island hole)
Really nasty pond (no disc retrieval here)
Broken glass on a lot of holes.

Other Thoughts:

The upkeep has been better lately for this course although there is still some garbage and broken glass throughout. If you're in the area and have never been, it's worth a quick round or ace run as I like to call it :p
I would rate this course a 3 but I'm upping it half a disc because I think it should be rated higher in general.
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3 0
jonesydesign
Experience: 11.9 years 35 played 8 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Easy course, easier to get lost 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 28, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

beautiful wooded surroundings, a good course to learn on, birdies and aces are possible

Cons:

no signs at all, tees are nearly non-existent on most holes, extremely hard to know where to go, lots of trash and broken glass

Other Thoughts:

The surroundings could be beautiful but it's littered with trash, much of which is broken glass (watch your step!). I barely knew where hole 1 was, let alone the next 17. There are no signs at all and the paths from hole to hole aren't very clear. Most holes are fairly short and give you a good chance to par or birdie on. It's a great course to learn on but would probably be fairly boring to a more skilled player.
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2 2
jcarter
Experience: 17 played 17 reviews
2.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 27, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

we had a local show us the course, he even shot a round with us, without him we wouldnt of know where to go. Its a short course, so many chances for aces and birdies.

Cons:

trash everywhere, beer cans everywhere, water hazards, high baskets, alot of traffic, but its near the college so I expected that/

Other Thoughts:

Thanks again to the local that played discgolf with us, had alot of fun.
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1 2
Nico28
Experience: 13.7 years 5 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great course for beginners, beautiful in summer 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 16, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is a great course for beginners experts and everyone in between. The course is very pretty during the summer (the pics on here do it no justice at all). I learned how to play on this course last summer, so like many it holds a special place in my heart. It is also very peaceful when walking through the woods. The holes are short and sometimes tight and are not repetitive like some beginners courses. The people are nice. the field outside the woods is a great place to practice your throw too. Bring a six pack and enjoy yourself

Cons:

Sometimes there can be to many people.

Since it is in the woods the course can get a little dark when the sun is setting.

The water traps can be a little tricky for beginners who most dont want the lose their only disc.

Like another reviewer said there really no signs, except what hole you are on, but the course is very easy to navigate so don't worry.


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10 0
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.1 years 831 played 767 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Great beginner course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 9, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course plays through a small wooded park that seems to be disc golf exclusive. The course plays through woods with some underbrush, enough to punish errant shots but mostly not so thick it'll eat discs. There are a couple holes that bring some small ponds into play for a little risk/reward, and the locals have made paths so it's easy for new players to skip the water holes should they so choose. There's a nice mix of hole shapes, with a good balance of left, right and straight shots required. The length is very short, but there are enough trees and enough different lines that the course doesn't feel too repetitive.

Cons:

There are no signs at all, so you don't always know if you're on the right hole or shooting to the correct basket. Most of the baskets are numbered, but due to a ton of graffiti some have been painted over. The tees are natural and not in the best shape, luckily you shouldn't need much run up here. The baskets are single chain for the most part, so they don't always catch perfectly. There was quite a bit of trash around the course. A couple holes bring the park entrance road into play, it seems like a lot of newer players with less accuracy frequent this course so it could be a safety issue.

Other Thoughts:

This is a fun course to play with a putter or super class disc, it's very short but still interesting. Beginners will learn a lot here, with distances appropriate for newer players but different lines they'll need to hit to be successful. More experienced players will find every hole to be an ace run, but you can still get in trouble and have to work for your three if you aren't accurate.
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4 0
Anheuser
Experience: 13.7 years 27 played 9 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Mini Disc Golf 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 27, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Nice for a quick round, or a nightcap round on your way home from another course or as a warm-up. Fairly easy to navigate. Hard to lose a disc, except on the water holes which can be skipped if desired. Challenging enough to keep it fun, but not hard. A great beginner's course. Adult beverages are no biggie, so bring a sixer or half pint if you want. Just be careful driving out of campus.

Cons:

Loud kids, wafting pot smoke, and beer cans everywhere by the tees. No long open drive opportunities. Can feel cramped and if you play it enough times your person or car WILL be pegged by an errant disc. Even with floating discs, you might not even want it back after going into that sewer sludge on holes #4 and #11.

Other Thoughts:

It is what it is. For me it's a fun course that I've been playing on and off for 10 years. I have noticed they've cleaned it up some lately. Consider playing it in the morning on weekdays or during the summer to avoid crowds. The kids out there are surprisingly friendly for the most part though. Not worth driving out of town for, but holds a special place in the hearts of locals like me.
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5 0
KnownKiller
Experience: 14.7 years 114 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Not that bad 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 28, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Short Course
- Great for beginners and people looking for a semi-easy course.
- Great for practice/work on overall game
- Good number of holes to throw a long shot and other really short shots.
- Not very many repetitive holes.
-

Cons:

- Some parts of the day, very busy
- Trash on some holes, but not that bad.
- Water is very nasty. Holes #4 and #11

Other Thoughts:

I play this course almost every night with my roommate and him and I really enjoy playing here. It may not be "top notch" but I feel its worth playing.
A lot of friendly people willing to help. Unless we get a lot of rain then course is mostly dry.
Wood chips on the course also help in keeping it dry.
There are a couple trees down from recent storms but doesn't really effect game play.
Signs would be helpful but park is run by mostly college kids who just enjoy playing.
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2 2
Red Wings Fan
Experience: 18.9 years 15 played 10 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Pressed For Time 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 10, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Good if you don't have enough time for a large course

Cons:

Lots of people sometimes, dirt tee box, small parking area not spread out

Other Thoughts:

don't go after its rained or has been raining a bunch because most of the course is dirty. however they have been trying to clean the course up with wood chips which helps
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4 0
Junkr
Experience: 14.9 years 5 played 5 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Potential 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 14, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Nice amateur/medium difficulty course for those trying to get to the next level of play.
-18 holes, 18 baskets. Always a plus.
-Doubles/Singles play Monday and Friday nights, respectively. A few locals run this simply because they love the game. They also sell cheap discs.
-Some very nice holes here. #1 and #5 always jumped out at me as being very well designed. #1 requires a precise RHBH to stay in the fairway and have a chance at a bird, #5 is quite difficult for RH players, as any wayward shot will end up in bad shape and you'll basically have to play back out to the fairway to advance any further. #5 is also a good hole for your Tomahawk throws (bust it out!)

Cons:

-BUSY. This is the major problem here. During the summer months it gets a bit better, but quite frequently you will have to wait to tee off at #1, and wait at every other hole due to slow, poor college players who don't know how to let you play through.
-The pond is so nasty. Period. If your disc goes in, say goodbye. I hear it used to be a sewage waste dump before the course was put in. I can't confirm that though.
-A lot of nasty terrain - this can be avoided with good drives most of the time, but with any wooded course, the discs kick in weird directions sometimes and you may end up in mud.
-No maintenance whatsoever. This course gets trashed and the only fix it gets is bums picking up all the returnable cans and one guy who empties all the trash cans once or twice a week. #6 and #8 are especially notable - they are right behind the WMU frat houses and are constantly filled with broken glass and other random party foul.
-During the heavy summer months, this course gets a little unfair with all the brush that jumps up. Though I suppose that's common with any wooded course.

Other Thoughts:

-I played my first round ever here and it remains unchanged since the day I played. It is a college course. Take that for what it is. You will run into a large variety of college folk, often drunk, sometimes hopped up on something else altogether. I, as well as most of the local players here don't mind, but a traveling player stopping by for the first time might be a little annoyed.
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