Big Rapids, MI

Northend Riverside Park - East

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3.65(based on 25 reviews)
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Northend Riverside Park - East reviews

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8 0
DFrah
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 5.8 years 227 played 225 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Northend is your destination for disc golf in Big Rapids!

Reviewed: Played on:May 27, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

(Disclaimer - some of this is copy/paste from my review of the West course on site!)

Northend Riverside Park is located in Big Rapids, MI. It's right on the north edge of town, but yet feels secluded. There are two 18-hole disc golf courses on site here, East and West. The two courses are right next to each other but do not overlap. There is some great signage between holes that allows disc golfers to easily play all kinds of different layouts within each course, and even between courses. The signs point out 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 hole layouts and honestly, even more layouts are possible. For example, this isn't signed but you could easily play holes 1-8 of the West course then skip to holes 12-18 on the East course for an easy 15-hole round. This is really almost a choose-your-own-adventure disc golf park which adds to the appeal, in my opinion. The park is very pretty, and for the most part dedicated to disc golf only.

The East course is the older of the two, and in general it plays slightly shorter but with more elevation change than the West course. My understanding is that this park originally had only one 18-hole course, which used the first two holes and holes 6-18 of the current East course, plus holes 1, 2, and 17 if the current West course. This East layout has a few memorable holes. My favorite was hole 10, which is the longest one on the course. It plays 540' from the long Blue tee. The first 250' of the fairway runs through a section of woods that is pretty much straight and flat, although the terrain slopes downward on the left side if I am remembering correctly. Then, the hole kinks to the right and makes its way through beautiful undulating terrain the rest of the way to the basket, with several trees in the fairway preventing an easy approach. Besides this one, there are several other holes where the elevation changes are significant enough to affect play. You will need to take this into account, and throw accurately, AND get some decent distance on your drives to score well on this course.

As alluded to above, there are two sets of tees here. The long Blue layout will be a challenging round for most disc golfers. Distances average around 325', and range from hole 3's 175' thread-the-needle downhill toss to the aforementioned hole 10. The shorter Red layout looked like it would still offer respectable challenge, while also requiring some different throws and being a little more forgiving for newer disc golfers.

The baskets on this East course are Chainstars (west course has yellow banded DISCatchers). To be honest I would like to see banded DISCatchers here too, but only because they are easier to spot in the woods. There is otherwise nothing wrong with the Chainstars. Hole 18's basket is raised maybe 8' off of the ground for a unique challenge to end your round. One basket per hole.

The two teepads per hole are concrete. Some of them could use a replacement but overall they are still in good shape. There are trash cans at every long tee, and benches at many of them.

The tee signs are decent. Those at the long tees each have a map of the hole mounted to a sheet metal sign. The hole number and distance is cut into the metal on each sign. Unfortunately, these signs do not show the par or give any information about the shorter Red layout, and there are no signs at the shorter tees.

There is a kiosk at the parking lot that has a large map of both courses, information on some of the possible layouts, and other notices. There are also two practice baskets and a porta potty nearby. Wi-Fi is available in the parking lot too!

Cons:

Besides the great layout maps between holes mentioned at the beginning of this review, there are not many "Next Tee" signs. There are a couple of places where it isn't quite clear where to go for the next hole, and several other places where you could waste time by walking to the Red tee instead of the Blue tee for the next hole, and vice versa. More signs that point towards both Blue and Red next tees would be nice.

Although the variety is good overall, it felt like there were a high number of right turning holes in the middle of the course. I may not have noticed if not for a sign proclaiming "Now Entering Anhyzer Alley" at the beginning of this stretch. I'm putting this as a Con but LHBH/RHFH throwers might love it, haha. There is also a stretch of holes between #12-16 or so that started to all feel pretty similar to each other.

Disc golfers currently have to clamber up on a couple of large rocks to retrieve their discs from the raised #18 basket. These rocks aren't quite level and this could be dangerous in wet conditions. Also, I am about average height and the rocks were barely tall enough for me to reach my disc. Some stairs here would be a good safety/accessibility improvement.

Despite the name of the park, there are no water hazards here (both courses are east of the parking lot, and the river is west of it).

The rough on some holes will be quite thick in the summer. You may want a spotter.

Road noise can be heard throughout the course, although it is less significant on the East side.

Other Thoughts:

As of this writing, using Google Maps to get here is a little funky. The road that the park is on is shown as a trail for some of its length as you approach the park, and I believe that road is the only way in and out of the park so Google was a little confused. I recommend checking the directions listed on the Course Info tab before you drive here.

Overall, Northend Riverside Park is a great disc golf option. I would not call it a destination for out-of-state DG travelers, but those within a reasonable drive should definitely check it out. Compared to the West course, I think that this East course is slightly more polished, has a better mix of holes, and has more elevation change - hence my slightly higher rating. With all of the Cons addressed this could *maybe* cross into 4.5 range, but I don't think the terrain is here to create enough "wow" factor, to push my rating to that magic 5.0 number. Still, I wish this park were closer to me and I would love to call this my home course!
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4 0
MrFrosty
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 31 years 764 played 386 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Surprisingly Scenic But Challenging Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 9, 2019 Played the course:once

Pros:

See the directions for parking from my West review . The kiosk says it all . The blue area on the map constitutes the East side . I had forgotten to mention on the West review that right next to the kiosk are the TWO putting baskets . Finding the first hole to start the East course is a little trickier than the West course . There is a cement path to the right of the West course #1 tee pad and across the street from where you parked . Follow that to a hill in front of you and climb the hill and turn right . You will see the first tee pad . The East course has the same cement tee pads ( some a little short ) . the Yellow banded Discatchers that are good for course , especially in the woods or when it is dusk. The signage is maybe the best I have ever seen . Metal , partly cut out at the top to signify that you are on the East course and hole # . You can read that part from the front or back of the sign , keeping you on the right path . The signs from the front also give a picture of the hole and the length . This course is the shorter , not quite as hard , but better looking counterpart to the West Course .Something that I had never seen in a course before were the same large course maps tat you see on the kiosk , stationed in selective parts of the course . They will show you where you are , and if you want to peel off for a shorter 12 hole round by taking a different path or extending to a longer round by taking another path and adding 6 holes from the West course that runs alongside of the East Course to make a 24 hole round . Unbelievable ! There are some NEXT tee signs on the course to help navigate you , too . You might not have to print a map to navigate this course , but for the sake of losing focus on a bad hole , you don't want to wander off and enter the West Course . Even though the East Course distance is shorter than the West Course , it still has great basket placement and an aesthetically pleasing environment . Lots of nature's creatures abound in this part of the park . The course is situated far enough away from the park's many other activities , that you should only encounter other disc golfers . There seem to be remnants of a shorter course that coincide with this course , designated by knee high red wood posts in the ground showing a crude flight path and toe boards at the natural tee pads . Lots of fun holes on the East side . Ones that stand out in my mind right away are #5 , which you throw your drive from just inside the woods , out in the open , hyzer to the basket , which is nestled in the same woods you just threw out of ( 280' ) . Your next drive at 6 , you throw out of the woods again , across an opening , anhyzer to an opening in the woods across from you and slightly downhill ( 300' ) . #7 is a 270' basket sandwich in the woods . The basket sits between 2 sets of large trees directly in front of the hole and behind it . Throw too far and you are down the hill , fighting for an angle in which to throw a putt . #10 is the longest hole , sitting at 540' through the woods . It will punish you if you stray off the fairway . #13 is a cool hole with OB to the left of the tee . #15 has the best tee box , slightly elevated with a wood paneled front #18 had one of the better finishing holes that I have seen . A left turn wraparound drive only about 250' or so , but with large trees set to take your drive out of the air . I can't figure out from standing on the tee pad how you can make this drive carry to the basket , unless you can throw over huge trees . Anyway , the basket has some of the dirt dug out of the front of it , and has a wood paneled elevated basket set out in the open . I chose #18 as my signature hole for the East Course . Good balance of left and right handed holes . I don't know where the players were , but I felt I had the course to myself . I was playing at 10:30 on a Sunday morning .

Cons:

You could make an argument that the course is not as competitive as the West side , and that some good ams or pros would play this course under par for sure , but I don't consider that a con , since they have the choice to be over on the West side , anyway . Lack of trash cans on the course .Carry out what you carry in .

Other Thoughts:

It must be nice to wake up on a weekend morning , drive to the park , and your only dilemma would be which course to play . A well designed 18 hole course on the East side offers you the lighter more beautiful side of Northend Riverside park . It looks like the course has undergone major changes since last being reviewed in 2015 . I am really impressed by how much effort and finances have gone into making this course what it is today . If I lived within 40 miles of this course I would be here most weekends . Thanks, Northend Riverside Park Board for making these courses a reality .Your park will have the notoriety of having one of the best places to play disc golf in the state , and the area businesses will also reap the benefits and not even know it . I stayed overnight at Holiday Inn next to Ferris State ( College Disc Golf National Champions 2017 ) , Ate at BW3 across the street and ate lunch at Wendy's the next day . ( friendly town )
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6 0
davetherocketguy
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.7 years 114 played 105 reviews
3.00 star(s)

SO. MANY. HUCKERS. 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 16, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Located in a small multiuse park but the disc golf is a good ways away from the remaining activities. A big plus.
- Well laid out. No significant design flaws other than #17 and maybe the #3 fairway- more on that later.
- The front 9 and some of the back nine have nice little "next tee" signs that are engraved 4x4's low to the ground. Very helpful. Too bad they weren't every where.
- Tee signs are also 4x4's with the hole information engraved and painted on them. Very rudimentary but get the job done efficiently.
- Really enjoyed the baskets on #3 and #18. While not technically elevated baskets in the strictest sense they are up on a landscaped mound making for a challenging approach in both cases.
- The long tees all have well constructed concrete pads.
- Baskets seem to be newer Discraft however I don't know which model. They're in great shape and catch well with the multi layers of chain.
- Now it appears there is an active project going on at the moment to replace many of the benches. There are 4x4 stubs sticking out of the ground at most of the holes so since this seems like a active project going on I won't deduct anything from my evaluation. Just shows that someone is attempting to take good care of this course.
- Sandy soil. I know this is a really weird pro but there is some erosion issues here. Without the sandy soil I have to believe after a rain this place becomes a muddy muddy mess.
- Really thought the left vs. right holes were balanced out quite well.

Cons:

- The #3 and #2 fairways are a little close to each other. Use caution on these holes for errant throws.
- The short tees are just 4x4's laid in the ground. Concrete pads for the shorts would really spruce things up. Right now, it's just a anckle twisting dirty rut in the ground.
- This course gets A LOT of traffic presumably from Ferris State. The main issue with that is erosion. It's high time for preventative measures before things get uglier.
- While the design for the most part isn't flawed and each individual hole on its own is great the course as a whole seems like a variations on a theme. Just one hole after another cut through the woods. Your typical Michigan discgolf right here. It isn't bad just nothing unique.
- The biggest con of all is the sheer number of huckers on the course. There's just so many of them.
- Really didn't like how you have to walk up the #17 fairway from the 16 basket to get to the 17 tee. With all the woods available it would be nice to have a more direct path between the two.

Other Thoughts:

Admittedly, I am completely jealous that people get to have a course like this so close to where they live. So don't take my criticisms wrong way. There's nothing lackluster about Riverbend but there just isn't anything spectacular about it either. The tee markers are sort of an indication of this. They work - but just. Nothing special.

Not sure I'd advise anyone to come here while school is in session at Ferris. That school is loaded with huckers a plenty. Some are cool, some are just clueless while others are just plane rude. Just goes to prove one of my life sayings; "Huckers, you can't live with 'em, you can't shoot 'em." Just show up when schools out and you'll have a great time.
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1 3
SMZcrystals
Experience: 10.8 years 12 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Northend 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 7, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Course conditions you for being able to maneuver between trees and in tight gaps.
-Makes all other fairways seem wide-open.
-No water traps.
-Never crowded

Cons:

-Lots and lots of trees.

Other Thoughts:

Great area, feel free to hop on a tube and the float river back to campus!
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1 5
alex.topspin.uganski
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Northend 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 22, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Variety of shots are required to get through the varying amounts of trees/shrubs. It is well maintained. Nice outdoors experience.

Cons:

Trees will try to get in the way of every shot they can. It messes with some people.
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2 5
Jeffro Skull
Experience: 14.9 years 115 played 12 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Nice Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 29, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Tough narrow technical shots and lots of dog leg right shots.
-Very easy to follow
-Pro and Woman/Rec tees, all tees have signs and posts to show where next tees are.

Cons:

Only if you're playing solo then there are some blind shots.

Other Thoughts:

Go ahead and knock me for the "piss-poor" review, but I like to keep is short and simple! ;)
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4 1
DirtyWhiteBoy
Experience: 13.7 years 6 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Tough course due to the fact that more than half is heavily wooded, but is also very fun. Always clean nicely taken care of. Cement tees for the pro, and sand for the beginner is nice. Decent amount of signage to lead you through the holes.

Cons:

Some of the beginner tees seem to be actually more difficult than the pro ones. Other than that there really are no large cons.

Other Thoughts:

This is a great course which is really fun to play and has many fun sights, such as the multiple bottle cap trails and the entire 17th hole is very fun. All in all, a very fun course. I defiantly recommend a play.
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12 0
deBebbler
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 28.8 years 75 played 34 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Riverside is the cure for the Traveling Blues 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 17, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Although this course is located in a popular park, the majority of the patrons congregate along the river. While the lot is often packed, the traffic on the course is mostly DG patrons.

Beautiful wide cement tees in fantastic condition.

Secluded feel through most of the course. Paths are well worn and navigation is effortless.

Great course character with bottlecap-tiled paths, log art, and an "Anhyzer Alley" that replaces irritation of similar holes with an 'opponent' to beat, even in solo rounds. Benches wisely placed at key points during a round.

Length. Courses often consider reduced distances a fair trade with more trees. Here you get both. 11 of 18 holes > 300' and there are trees everywhere.

Cons:

Lackluster signage. 4x4 posts, unless jazzed up considerably, are a dreadful signage choice. Tee signs convey the least amount of information possible (length and vector representation of path). Many baskets are obscured from the tee, and some more info on the drive would be appreciated.

This course was listed as 'moderately hilly' on DGCR, and I found myself wondering why. There is some undulation that is certainly pleasing to the eye, but very little of it impacts your shot choice. I would say it is flat with bumps.

I was very disappointed that a course with "Riverside" in its title had not one water hole.


Other Thoughts:

While I cited course character as a significant pro (and it is), the majority of my complaints deal with things (signage, specifically) that would be considered 'course character'.

I could see the care and time that was taken to design and maintain this course, but it depressed me that the signage was so lazy. An investment in signage would definitely increase my rating.

I'm hard pressed to have much more to complain about. I played this course again rather than playing a new one on my way home. I very much like this course.

For some reason, thinking of this course always causes me to hum Led Zeppelin.
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3 0
cfifield21
Experience: 16 years 4 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 11, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

First course I ever played on. I love it! This is the course that got me addicted to Disc Golf. I like because its not like normal parks where people are just all over. Its in is own region. The holes present a different aspects of the game. I have yet to master this course but I played some amazing games on it. I do find myself going back to this course when ever I have the time because everything you play it is a new experience.

Cons:

College students need to take better care of it. There needs to be more trash cans around and a better place to dispose of waste products. Respect nature!

Other Thoughts:

The bottle cap ally is alot of fun! Hole 17 is alot of fun as well as hole 11! I recommend using a putter on some holes its a good way to practice that skill!
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6 0
'ster
Experience: 14.8 years 11 played 3 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Darn Good 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 11, 2019 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

A good mix of left, right, and straight fairways that utilize every bit of elevation throughout this rolling to flat property. The entire course is dedicated to disc golf - while paved paths divide and skirt the course, there are no paths across fairways. There are new signs as of a few years ago - they're large, metal, and display big color graphics - so they're easy to spot from a distance. Additionally, the signs have the course, hole # and distance cut out making it possible to read them from the back. There are also large color maps strategically placed throughout the course at all of the major junctions. All of the long tees are cement, though the three newest tees are significantly shorter and narrower than the originals. This course, in contrast to the West course on this property, is mostly wooded. The rough is dense enough to deny easy "outs" but not so dense as to prevent you from finding your errant lies. There are no thorns (aside from some ground-cover blackberries in a few places), no poison ivy, no mud, and very few biting insects. It's mostly quite and natural throughout. There's a 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, and with holes from the West course, 24, and 27 hole loops possible, most of which are explained with the aforementioned orientation maps at the major junctions.

Cons:

There is some erosion occurring after a decade of play, however, the addition of the West course has significantly slowed this down.

There's no water hazard. (also a pro for some people)

There could be more trash cans.

The fairways through the woods are never mowed. The grass gets tall enough to deny skips, but never thick enough to obscure a lie.

Other Thoughts:

The history of the East course at Northend Riverside Park: The course was established by Leonard Johnson in 2006 after years of lobbying the Big Rapids Parks & Rec Board. Using his own money and muscle, and with the help of other locals, Johnson built the entire course. Within a few years, disc golf rapidly grew in popularity in Big Rapids. Sometime around 2010, the City took issue with discouraged behavior of some players, causing Johnson, Foster Neill, and a few other locals to change the final two holes. They cut in a very tight RBH hyzer to create a new #17. Then they moved the basket from the old 17's original spot, to a farther location at the highest point of elevation and dug out a hazard just before, accentuating the elevation challenge. This became the new #18. The White Pine Trail sits about 40' behind the basket at the bottom of the hill, creating an OB hazard. The original 18th hole went unused and basketless for the next 5 years or so.

Sometime around 2014-2015, Neill started plans to expand the course to 36 holes. Over the following years, he plied the City to allow the local club to begin work on unused, contiguous land. Along with Johnson and Club volunteers, they cut in 17 new fairways and re-opened the original 18th fairway after adding some distance to it. It was at this time that 3 new holes were added to the original course, which are now #'s 3, 4, & 5. These new holes replaced the original #'s 1, 2, & 3, which became #'s 1, 2, & 17 of the new West course. It was also during this time that new tee signs were made and planted - large metal signs with color graphics have replaced the original 4x4" posts.
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3 0
apdrvya
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 13.9 years 350 played 293 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 25, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Signage--huge amounts of signs out here, there is absolutely no way you're getting lost out here.

Variety--decent amount, There were a lot of the same fades (right or left) in a row however

Dual tees--some helpful, some, not so much

Location--in one of my favorite parks in big rapids.

Originality--bottle cap path, cool looking trees, anhyzer alley, the bulletin board about half way through.

Cons:

some supid holes--18 comes to mind. go left, then right, then left again. boo! there is also a hole with an uphill, hard right about 50 feet off the tee pad, very little room for error here. Also, there was a big garter snake here. :)

Erronious measurements--There is no way that some of the red tee lengths (compared to the blue tee) are accurate. There is not 60 feet that is equal to 15 feet ever.

A bit repetitve in some places, a lot of the same types of holes in a row, plus, tired of trees about halfway through.

Other Thoughts:

I went to Ferris so this is a bit sentimental for me. I enjoyed this course, harder than hell but a great time none the less.
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3 2
sgamerp
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 16 years 99 played 73 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 5, 2008 Played the course:once

Pros:

Has a lot of really good Holes. It's pretty wooded which is a definite plus for me. Has a multiple tee's. Good amount of shots, Cement Tee's on Blues. It has bathrooms.

Cons:

Saw some posion ivy. Some bugs are around. There can be a decent amount of people depending on the time.

Other Thoughts:

Seems that sometimes the red's can be a little harder, even though shorter.
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4 0
BucketBonanza
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.8 years 47 played 30 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Let It Flow 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 24, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is on a nice parcel of wooded land. There is very good flow to this course, and although it has some decent length holes, you can move through 18 holes very rapidly. In most cases there is very little wasted movement getting from one hole to the next which can become tiresome in high heat or snowy situations. Very good for finding rhythm. The course is also marked very well with directions to your next location which is nice for visitors. Oddly enough the 18th hole seems out of place after a smooth run. There are red tees for ladies or beginners which offer much relief on a few holes. The layout here offers some fun playing. Even errant shots are relatively easy to locate as the rough spots are low and mostly vegetated with ferns. There are no ridiculous "stupid" holes that are clogged with trees and completely luck dependant here which I really was happy about. Zero frustration due to "stupid holes."

Cons:

This place plays very flat. There is really not much variety to speak of in terms of terrain. No water. The majority of bends are to the right, which can effectively disable beginners and players who are solely righty backhand throwers. This makes for a decent degree of difficulty despite the relatively routine lay of the land.

Other Thoughts:

I had a good time playing this course. I think there is much to be said about having fun whilst playing. What are we really there for? I don't want to spend a round completely frustrated by "stupid holes" and this course delivered the fun big time.
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3 0
jansenk4
Experience: 14.7 years 4 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

-No water, generally playable at anytime during the year.

-Holes are pretty good and wooden posts with fairway path carved into them lets you know where you are shooting.

-If beginning, amateur tees on some holes (2 and the longest hole 10?) have big advantages This makes it fun for beginners and is a good course to play if you want to eventually want to pick it up as a hobby.

-Since there are trees, you can play this course a million times and never throw the same shots. Fun to mix up your game/throws each time you come out. (I've driven backhand, forehand and even tomahawk on holes)

Cons:

-Ferris State University has a lot of big groups of students go through, or "pros in training" like to throw multiple discs and can hold you up, but most people will let you play through.

-Hard to play if you throw right handed and don't have a forehand shot, many holes go right, although #3, #6, and 2 more on the back nine go left.

Other Thoughts:

Whoever did the review should really switch this course description from moderately wooded to heavily wooded.

Four holes to warm up with few trees before you have to decide on how you plan to shoot around trees.

Both my favorite and most frustrating course to date (of 6 courses)
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4 3
jamays
Experience: 14.5 years 18 played 6 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Carbon-Copy 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 14, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is tough due to its many narrow, wooded fairways. Navigation is quite easy throughout the course and the cement tee pads are a reasonable size to throw from.

Trash bins and benches are prevalent throughout the course.

There is an interesting path made from bottlecaps... be sure to enjoy!

Cons:

There are more cons to this course then pros. On a couple holes, the fairway corridors are essentially non-existent. It's less skill and more luck to get a decent long disc through most fairways. Most of the holes are a carbon-copy one another, making for a slightly boring romp through the woods. Also, holes in some areas are quite tightly packed in... FORE!

Other Thoughts:

If this course had some variance in hole design and opened up a couple of the fairways in the woods it would rate a 3.5. I think this course has some potential.
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5 0
Mark R
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.8 years 115 played 89 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 14, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Uncommon northern location. Quite challenging, with lots of narrow corridors in the woods. Nice cement tee pads. Good signs, especially the ones pointing to the next hole. Better than average Chainstar baskets. Good navigation overall with few or no difficulties locating holes. Does a good job overall with available land and resources.

Cons:

A few too many forest holes; a trait shared with Whitehall Township Park, which it closely resembles. Holes near road (1/18) seem a little compromised. Some slightly more open holes at the front and back end of the course, but no real stunning holes, and somewhat flat overall. A fairly crowded course.

Other Thoughts:

Course could be improved slightly by utilizing some of the more open park areas and cutting some trees and planting grass in some of the wooded areas. Some benches here and there, but not at every hole. Hole 10 is a very tough 570 foot hole in the woods which few would par, and there are some fairway paths, like the 360' Hole 15.

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5 0
Opus
Experience: 14.9 years 20 played 9 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Nice! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 27, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very clean. Few different options for different style throws. Woods add a bit of complexity to your shots as you try to find ways to make it through. Tees are cement and there are visible markers directing you to the next tee after finishing a hole.

Cons:

There is so much open space, could put in a few more holes, or even a second course. No real cons at all with the course itself.

Other Thoughts:

This was the first stop on our travel of a couple different courses for the day. Was not expecting it to be much more than a warm up course. Was pleasantly surprised by not only the course design and complexity level, but also by the way it is maintained. Make sure to check out the bottle cap path, and the american flag made of caps.
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4 0
LangWu99
Experience: 16.9 years 16 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Diamond in the Rough..sorta 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 6, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

I was very supprised with this course as have others. I went into this not really expecting much but after playing the first round and seeing what there was to offer I had to play again.

This was difficult without being too frustrating and fun enough to make up for the hassles that I did encounter.

Of course everything everybody else listed about this course like cement tees, alternate tees and such made this a great outing.

Cons:

A few things too mention that brought it down but could be rectified.

Even a little bit off the fairway was very costly. There was a lot of young trees and bushes that just add strokes to a decent throw.

Low clearing branches on a couple of holes knocked down some great could have been shots

Some distance between a couple of tees.

Other Thoughts:

It would be nice to see some brush and dead branch cleansing here. That would of eliminated a couple of strokes from the card.

It would be nice to see an alternate loop using some of the distance along the power lines if its legal to do so..

I wish this was a little closer to me because I would definately play it over Kenwood every day.

If you're within even 40 miles of this course make a point to check it out at least once and play through a second time the same day.
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9 0
volklgirl
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.6 years 110 played 56 reviews
3.50 star(s)

What a surprise! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 17, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This quality of this course came as a complete surprise! Accurate directions on the course info page lead us to a beautifully tended and spotlessly clean little park with easy access to the first tee, and the course loops you right back to the parking lot on #18. Generously sized cement tee pads with really nice texturing created sure footing with plenty of space for a run up on the blue tees (a buddy of ours commented numerous times how much he loved the massive size of the tee pads). The alternate red tees with shorter distances, but often more difficult shots, had well packed and even dirt pads for almost equally secure footing. I LOVE that the red tees offer shorter distances while preserving, and even adding to, the unique character and difficulty of each hole.

The entire course was well marked with tee markers containing tee color, footage and target direction, and with directional signs to both tee pads.

Given the compact nature of the course, every hole was very well thought out and challenging, making great use of all the rolling terrain and vegetation changes. This course seems to reward distance and accuracy in even measures, depending on the hole. There's a fairly even mix of mostly open/slightly wooded and heavily wooded holes and plenty of doglegs with a preponderance of rights, including the massively evil uphill right turn on #5 that leads to an elevated basket. A bad drive here will leave you in deep woods while a bad approach or putt may have your disc rolling all the way back down the hill!

A really cool bottle cap walkway has been created between holes #16 and #17 - make sure you check it out!

Holes #4 and #17 are on an elevated area of the park making them the picturesque spots on the course. I particularly liked putting into the sunset on #17. Sigh.

Cons:

The road comes into play on hole #1, and errant shots on the front 5 could easily strike players on neighboring holes or bikers/walkers on the bike path that cruises through near #4.

A course board with an empty scorecard box was situated between holes #6 and #7. Hmmmm....(scratching head).

Even with the shorter red tees, the technical difficulty of this course could leave some beginners a little frustrated.

Other Thoughts:

This course is quickly becoming one of my favorites for its ability to maximize fun and challenge without any heavy climbing or long hikes. Plus, the dual tee pads allow for playing 2 rounds with very different feels!

*** Update 7/9/11 ***
Holes 17 and 18 have been moved, eliminating having to cross at 4 to get to 18. It also eliminates the possibility that overshots at the 17 basket could hit someone teeing off on 4. #17 now has all new tee pads going the opposite direction it used to, still utilizing the big terrain dip as before. #18 utilizes the old #17 tees and shoots toward where the old 17 basket was, but then the fairway shoots left into the open field to an elevated basket at the edge of a drop off. A short hike down the drop off and a scuttle across the entrance road brings you right back to your car.
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2 3
tarynla
Experience: 4 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Northend Riverside 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 26, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Very nicely put together course. Has some challenging holes back in the woods.

Cons:

Not a very good course for begginers. To much stuff to worry about when throwing in the woods. Seeing how 14 out of 18 holes are in the woods. Almost every hole is a dog leg / "L" shaped hole. Not very diverse.

Other Thoughts:

There isn't any worries for losing your disc because there is no water factor on this course.
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