Kalamazoo, MI

Robert Morris DGC

3.765(based on 35 reviews)
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13 0
DFrah
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 5.8 years 227 played 225 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Techie Robert + Bomber Morris

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 30, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

Robert Morris Park is located between Kalamazoo and Battle Creek, MI. An 18-hole disc golf course appears to be one of two main attractions in the park, the other being a public beach on an inland lake. The course stays away from the beach and lake, which I appreciated for safety reasons even though some water hazard holes could have been fun.

This course can be thought of as two different 9-hole options that each loop back to the parking lot. The front 9 is more technical, with short to medium length holes on moderately open to tight fairways. The back 9 is generally much more open, but also has much longer hole distances. The overall range is great, from about 150' all the way up to 575'.

There are also two concrete tee pads per hole to form a short and long layout - so lots of options to choose from here. I only had time to play one round from the long tees, which was a lot of fun on the front 9 and got to be a bit much for my noodle arm on the back 9. There were plenty of holes where I only made it about to the short tee with my tee shot from the long tee. The shorts looked like they offered a different line to the basket on many holes, increasing the replay potential of the course.

There are some nice elevation challenges throughout the course. Some of the more memorable holes include #1 (plays 310' up a narrow wooded gully the whole way), #4 (a moderately open S-shaped fairway playing over rolling terrain), #9 (steep downhill wooded ace run with the incline continuing down behind the basket), and #10 (plays 440' - up a steep incline with a couple of trees, then opens up and turns left...and left...and so much more left until finally reaching the basket. It felt like about a 180 degree turn, even though the map only shows it at about 105 degrees). Overall there is a really nice mix of hole designs here.

The baskets are Chainstars with small white flags installed on top for visibility. One per hole.

The tee signs are decent. They are sturdy and have the basics, but they are only installed for the long tees and I thought a couple of them were a bit misleading. Overall still appreciated though. There were trash cans and benches near each long tee as well.

The front of the course has all the extras you could ask for, including a flush toilet, two practice baskets, and a large kiosk complete with a course map (I did note that holes 6 and 9 are labeled incorrectly on the map). A sign near the practice baskets points into the woods where the course starts.

Cons:

The park drive is in play on holes 11 and 12, and the county road outside the park is arguably in play on hole 13. I also agree with previous reviewers that holes 10 and 11 play too close together.

There aren't any navigational aids on the course. The course flows pretty well and the map on the kiosk is good, but there are a couple of places where arrows still would have saved me a little extra walking.

As mentioned above, no tee signs exist at the short tees. And the long tee signs indicate that all holes are par 3. Really? 575' on a fairway that is only medium width, and a little bit more up than down should pretty objectively not be a par 3 in my mind. #10 and maybe #14 should arguably be par 4 from the long tees as well.

A couple holes in the back nine required throwing through a narrow gap off the tee down a hill to reach a wider landing zone below. I don't mind this type of challenge at all, but what I didn't like is that the area below if you missed the gap was completely unmowed, thick rough. Some foliage there is great for punishment, but having to think about disc loss on a throw that wasn't really THAT bad always irks me. I think #13 was the worst offender here.

Other Thoughts:

There is a $5/day fee to enter the park. I visited on a Friday afternoon and there was an attendant at a booth in front of the parking lot to collect the $5. It looked like there was a self pay station for times that no attendant is present. The course was freshly mowed and clearly being well maintained by the park staff, so I could see where my $5 was going.

I re-read some of the earlier reviews and even more than normal, I have to agree with a lot of what previous reviewers have said here. Nothing really blew me away, but this is a solid course in a pretty park. Unless you have a big arm, you'll enjoy the front nine more than the back nine. Like TVK said, if I lived nearby I would come here all the time and play 27-hole rounds. I'd play the front nine long tees, back nine pick my poison, and then the front nine again - maybe from the short tees. And I'd be a better disc golfer if I did that regularly.

Robert Morris DGC is not a destination in itself, but 100% worth a play if you are anywhere near the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek area!
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11 0
1-UP
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 56 played 20 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun Course - One of My Favorites 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 30, 2020 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

RoMo is a course I'd really like to visit more often but is just far and inconvenient enough that I only grab a couple of games there a year.

Robert Morris is a multi-use park with great parking, nice bathrooms, a waterfront for swimming, and playground. While at one time it appears to have included athletic fields, they seem to have been abandoned long ago and given over to space for a dedicated disc golf course. The park is nice! Every time I've visited it's been well mowed, maintained, and clean. They even have have a concession stand that sells a limited supply of discs if necessary.

Most of the holes here have character. Some unique feature or line is included on most holes. The first hole is a beast, requiring you to blast a disc through a gully that never fails to make me feel like Skywalker dropping bombs on the Death Star in a run for the basket. Ok, given that I almost always thwack a tree or ground out I suppose it's more akin to one of the rebel mooks crashing and burning in a fiery tailspin as they careen along the surface, but it really is a cool (and challenging) shot.

The front 9 continues to play through the woods. Most of the holes are interesting. There are several short ace runs buried in here, but they require some solid placement or you're very likely to either run a fast green or take a bad tree kick and end up scrambling for a tricky par.

The front 9 is fun, but for me the back 9 is where the course shines. After crossing the entrance road to the #10 tee, you're greeted with a monster of a hole. Not only does a large hill need to be surmounted with your drive, but the course designer then slapped the basket another 150'-200' to the left tucked into some woods. I have no doubt guys (and gals) with cannons for arms can skybomb some sort of huge hyzer and maybe get a peek at a bird mere mortals dare not dream of, but for my play group it's all we can do to make it to the top, then throw accurately enough to hit the basket pocket without running afoul of trees and brush or overshooting and going back down the hill.

And that's really why I enjoy the back 9. To get a good score, you not only need distance, you need enough skill to make your disc navigate some pretty dicey lines, obstacles, and lies. Hole 11 is mostly open field, sure. All you really need to worry about is getting by the old backstop and some brushy trees and hit that beautiful, wide-open airway. Thing is, you also need to park a blind basket on a small terrace on the side of the hill. Raw power to begin, finesse to finish. A lot of the holes are like that on the back.

Are there a few duds? Sure, 15 is basically a longish lawn shot. The thing is, two holes ago you shot a nasty downhill that you had to sluice your disc down between tree canopy and pine that will knock an errant disc out of the air cold in order to hit a blind basket. This was immediately followed by a fairway that requires you to shape a shot well enough that your disc had better be able to sit and shake hands on command if you're going to get by the bulbous pine that's horking up all of the real estate of any line you may feel like throwing to hit YET ANOTHER blind basket. Hole 15 isn't a boring hole, it's a breather!

Brush is forgiving enough. There is some tall grass but I've only found it meddlesome during high summer. In late August it's died down to being barely a nuisance to walk through and not something to worry about a lost disc in.

Signage is good. Benches are present here and there. Not much in the way of trashcans that I can recall.

Cons:

Robert Morris is becoming...comfortable...in its old age. I suppose my biggest gripe is simply that the fairways are all beginning to get that "fuzzy" feeling of unchecked growth. I'm never a fan of brush that begins to overtake a fairway. It doesn't feel good to get a disc knocked down by it because you hit your line and some opportunistic plant just decided to reach out a little bit further and gobble up more sunlight and space. It just needs to be refreshed and landscaped a bit to brighten up.

The concrete has also seen better days. Several pads are becoming quite weathered, leaving a rough surface. Edges are also beginning to break down. Is it a problem? Eh, not yet. But another 5 years from now maybe. Also, at least one pad was darn near buried under sand. Not "kind of dirty". Buried.

Two holes have realistic chances of hitting something on the access road and another could possible hit the county road adjacent to the park. While I will say that traffic is generally minimal, I really don't like the possibility of it. We've certainly put them across that access road before so a confluence of bad timings could lead to an accident. While I've never seen a disc thrown so badly it goes into the county road, I have seen them cruise over it and land over the fence and in the grass next to it so I have to imagine it's happened.

The park charges $5 to park. Season passes are available, but out-of-county residents pay a premium over locals. Due to COVID, there was a special for a $20 pass this year. The park attendant I talked to indicated there was interest in doing the same price for next year but we'll see. I'm thinking it was otherwise $25 for residents and $40 for non. I'm just never sure I'll get out here enough to justify the $40 pass instead of $5 a pop. Otherwise I'd say it's well worth the expense.

Other Thoughts:

I really enjoy my games here. If I were hitting parks in the area (and there are many excellent ones to chose from) I don't think you'd make a poor choice if this was one you hit. It just hits the right note on so many things. It's long enough to feel satisfying but not so long that you're exhausted at the end. It's challenging enough to be gratifying but not so much to be frustrating. It's busy enough that you'll see other players but not so much that you'll be constantly waiting at the tee pad. It's simply a nice experience.

My friend did point out to me that the course favors a RHBH thrower. Initially I thought this was quite balanced. After seeing him fight with it though I must conclude he's probably right. It's not egregious or anything, but he was definitely limping along a bit trying to force unfamiliar backhands down those difficult lines.

It's a good, fun course. Take a visit!
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9 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
3.50 star(s)

The Front 9 Rocks! Back 9 Not So Much! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 7, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Robert Morris Park is a large lakeside park on the east side of Kalamazoo. As you drive in, you'll see baskets on both sides of the road. There is a $5 entrance fee that you place in the envelope and deposit in their little lockbox. This morning, I was the only person in the park. The park, besides the lake, has bathrooms, picnic area and a nice playground.

The disc golf course starts on the left side of the large parking lot. A sign points you toward the first hole. There is a practice basket here, a kiosk, garbage cans and a picnic table. The tee pads are rough, as in old and kinda worn or roughed, as in made with a roughed in, more textured surface for added traction. The tee signs are nice green/white ones showing the route.

The course starts out with a bang with hole 1 being a very cool, very rugged 370' drive up through this washed out, rugged valley. The basket is not visible from the tee pad but sits up just past the top of this hill.

# 2 is a 262' hole through a gauntlet of small trees. I call it my Batman hole as in Pow! Smack! Thump! and Bam! I hit every tree on my way to the basket.

# 3. After playing 1100 courses, I'm still seeing stuff I've never encountered anywhere else. The # 3 and # 6 holes share a bench here and this bench is 16' long! Nice idea.

# 4 is a 371' uphill so it plays more like 450'.

# 5 is just a nice normal, 189' Hyser Ace Run.

8 & 9 are both amazing short Ace Runs. 8 is just a short little (149') anhyser shot. # 9 is awesome. It's a short 170' downhill with a nasty little drop off behind. It's quite easy to fly past the basket and land up against the fence. That can turn a possible Ace into a 3 or 4 quickly. The epitome of risk/reward.

Now you're back at he parking lot.

# 10 is a long, difficult uphill hole that is listed at 486'. It has play more like a 600' hole when the uphill is factored in. Weiny arms like me are in trouble here. # 11 is 470' to a basket tucked over a small hill and sitting close to the park entrance road. Next # 12 plays along a steeply banked fairway to the visible basket 411' away.

# 14 requires a big arm to throw over the treetops to a basket 465' away but also goes up a small hill towards the end.

15 is just boring, straight and open 352' out.

# 17 is a difficult 560' slight uphill with a tight fairway.

But then # 18 is worth the price of a ticket by itself. It's kind of a cross between diabolical and wonderful. It's 327' downhill, very straight and very narrow and way down there at the bottom is the basket. And me, who can't keep a disc on a line for 50' fires away my disc flies perfectly straight, all the time just skimming the plants and bushes on the right side.........only to barely catch one of the last bushes. So much fun!

Robert Morris plays at an intermediate level but is a total blast for an aging, recreational player like myself. And yes, it's a nice workout, as well. Not one of those courses that is so long and grueling that you're totally done when you finish. This is more like, I finished 18, do I have enough in the tank for another round. I think if I were a local, I'd play a lot of 27 hole rounds thus getting to play the yummy front 9 two times.

Cons:

The front 9 wowed me. The back 9 did not. I found it pretty average except for # 18.

A pet peeve of mine (and others as well) is the # 4 tee pad is slanted slightly uphill with the contour of the land. When you are already cursed with a weiny arm, throwing from a upwards leaning pad only magnifies the dire situation that you find yourself in.

I don't care for fairways carved out of tall grass. The tall grass isn't really a rough, it's more of a nuisance than anything that forces you to spend time hunting for your disc.

# 15 hole is boring and out of place on this course.

I have to agree with reviewer davetherocketguy regarding # 10. When I finally summited the hill after 3-4 throws, I looked around and around trying to locate the basket. The sign wasn't exactly accurate as to the location.

$5 park entry fee isn't that much but for some players it could add up if you played here often. There was nobody home so I couldn't inquire about a yearly pass. A previous reviewer said $30.

Other Thoughts:

As I came up the hill on # 10' there were a flock of turkeys eyeballing me. I think they were sizing me up as their food source for the entire winter. I guess they decided I wasn't worthy the danger or perhaps they had watched me throwing with pin point accuracy and terrific velocity and realized, that I was not to be taken lightly.

I would rate the front 9 a strong 4.0. The back 9 including 18, I rate a 3.0. Don't count 18 and I give it an average 2.5. Together, I'll go with a 3.5. There are some terrific, really memorable holes here at Robert Morris.
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1 5
My arm hurts
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Great 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 9, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

This to me is the premier park in the area , costs $5.00 to get in per car load but well worth it, good signage, great lay out , and great use of natural turrain ( used to be an old ski lodge ) also during season has a beach and enmities.

Cons:

Tall grass up on the flats sometimes hard to find your disc.

Other Thoughts:

Something for everyone first 9 is technical second 9 long arm .
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13 1
davetherocketguy
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.7 years 114 played 105 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Best Course in Kalamazoo County 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 12, 2015 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Truly an intermediate course. One of those courses that strikes the perfect balance of not too hard and too easy. The kind of course for those who love disc golf are going to love this course regardless of skill level.
- Elevation changes abound here making shot selection very interesting. The use of the hills and landscape are really what makes this course great.
- The wooded holes of 1 through 9 will challenge anyone with the super tight lines needed to make any semblance of progess down the fairway. Big arms will love ripping it on the back 9 where everything is more open
- The baskets are definitely aging well and for the most part have been kept up.
- Benches are all over this course which is really nice after wandering up and down the hills.
- Maybe I played at a good time but this course had little to no trash anywhere.
- Very nice multiuse park setting on a small lake with nice bathrooms on site.
- Tee signs are definitely informative and for the most part in good shape. All the distances seemed to be correct.
- There are white flags on most of the baskets...WOW! Those are so handy especially on hole 1.
- Great use of risk/reward in many areas especially with some super duper fast greens like #11. #9 was really fast too but that's borderline absurd.
- #18 is a hoot. You make the narrow alley downhill a bird for your average noodle-arm is a very real possibility.

Cons:

- The biggest con for me is the lack of next tee signs in key areas. For example, 9 to 10, 5 to 6, 10 to 11 and 16 to 17. Most of the time just following the path seems to work okay but some next tee signs would be nice.
- I'm all for a fast green but #9 is almost over the top.
- Navigating #10 fairway was confusing. You throw up a gigantic hill and then walking up to the top...where's the basket? I think this is one of the few spots I've seen on a disc golf course where a sign pointing to the basket would do wonders.
- Speaking of #10 fairway...I think the one of two design flaws on the course is how close the #11 fairway comes to #10. It's a little too close. The second flaw IMHO is how close #13 comes to the fence adjacent to H Ave. Huckers beware...that is a busy county road and letting one fly onto that pavement means only bad things will happen.
- Some of the wooded holes are just a little too narrow. #2 is a great example. This hole requires a 200' laser beam straight shot down a 8' gap is kinda silly.
- Hate to admit this but there is a bit of a frustrating theme with some of these tees. Throwing your first shot up and over a hill is...aggravating.
- On the back nine there is a bit of proliferation of tall prairie grass which can make finding discs in the height of summer nightmarish at best.

Other Thoughts:

While this is a pay to play course I was so happy with the disc golf experience I would happily pay the $5 without hesitation everytime I come here. Even though I picked on the navigation issues pretty hard after going through the course once the layout does make sense. This course is worth driving a ways to get here. I would argue that its the best course in the Kalamazoo County.

It's almost too bad that the water never comes into play on any of this course with such a nice lake nearby.

And a special message to those that have decided to add their bit of phalic artwork to many of the really nice tee signs: There is a special place in hell for the likes of you right between the child molesters and those that talk during movies.
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16 0
BogeyNoMore
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.8 years 479 played 183 reviews
3.50 star(s)

A good reason to visit Comstock on my way home from K'zoo 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 28, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Well executed course features plenty of variety.
• Disc Play: Fairways run from tightly wooded to completely open with most filling the spectrum between those extremes. Reasonable mix of straight/L/R fairways requiring various shot shaping abilities off the tee. Most fairways offer a variety of lines off the tee (some obvious, some more creative), with a few that really limit you to maybe one or two routes. Distances range from under 200' to over 500', with the most doing a decent job filling in the gaps along the way. About half the holes feature sizeable elevation changes, with uphills and downhills that do more than simply change effective hole length. A few sloped greens present nasty rollaway potential on putts and approaches. Does a decent (but not outstanding) job of combining these attributes to create a course that's reasonably challenging, well-balanced on the whole, making for quite a fun round.

The front plays decidedly shorter and tighter, with some well-guarded pins; placement off the tee is the key to low scores. The back nine features much more open terrain with distance off the tee followed by a reasonably well-placed upshot being the key to success. Taken together they provide enough variation to provide a fairly complete discing experience. This course should prove pretty challenging for most players, but not unreasonably so (especially if you have the distance to give yourself birdie ops on some holes where we noodle arms have no hopes of doing so).

• Equipment/Maintenance: Concrete tees and baskets were in excellent condition. Baskets not visible due to elevation changes were flagged to help get a bead on your target. Tee signs show general shape and distance from multiple tees (see other thoughts). Fairways were nicely mowed and the course was clean. Everything was well-maintained and in fine shape.

• Routing/Nav: Laid out with holes 1-9 on one side of the park road, and 10-18 on the other side, with both loops starting fairly close to the parking lot, so you can easily start on 1 or 10 to avoid traffic and keep things flowing smoothly. Finding the next tee was pretty easy for the most part, and I actually think I spent more time locating baskets once I got to the tee than I did getting from hole to hole. The tee signs provide a rough idea of the shape, but as a 1st timer, I simply had to scout ahead (mostly on holes 10 -18) to get an idea of where I really wanted to throw.

Laid out to avoid interactions with other park goers for the most part, but the back 9 seems open enough that you might find some walkers innocently enjoying stroll without realizing they'd stumbled onto a "course."

• Aesthetics - Typically pleasant park setting with rolling hills, woods, and prairies makes for a nice escape. Unfortunately, only the approach/putt on #18 brings you within view of the lake, which is probably what most would consider the park's most pleasant feature.
Retaining walls around some of the pins give the course a cleaner look while combating soil erosion.

• Memorable holes:
#1 - uphill through plenty of trees makes this a tough hole, especially starting out.
#4 - invitingly open, uphill fairway sweeping up to a semi-guarded basket.
#9 - short downhill Ace Run through the woods with trouble behind the pin.
#10 - begs for a monster RHBH hyzer up a tall,steep hill, with a very strong fade as basket is well tucked away off the fairway with trouble behind waiting for overzealous upshots.
# 13 - RHBH hyzer (very reachable with the down hill) that requires great placement to get a look at birdie, with a risc disc loss if you lose control.
#18 - downhill tunnel challenges you to keep it long and straight without flipping or fading into the brush.

Cons:

• #12's a long, straight, open hole running parallel to the entry road - quite foreseeable that RHBH players will occasionally turn one over or grip-lock one into the road. That said, I'm not sure putting one into the road necessarily translates into "likely to hit a car," given that the park didn't seem busy on a nice Sunday afternoon. Nonetheless, I hold a certain contempt for holes where quite foreseeable shots present a reasonable possibility of involving non-DG traffic of any sort.

• Several fairways on the back 9 are lined with tall prairie grass that makes finding discs a royal pain without affecting play in any other way. Tip of the hat for mowing a couple of paths into the long strip separating 12 and 15, but I think they should have mowed a bit more aggressively on holes 13, 14, and perhaps 11? Missing the fairway by a couple of feet shouldn't mean a 15 minute search to find your disc.

• While the course offers a pretty good balance on the whole, each half can feel a tad repetitive unto itself.

• I appreciate they were trying to reward distance on the back 9, but it really doesn't punish uncontrolled distance.

Other Thoughts:

Great course, offering a fun and challenging round with a little of everything.

• No clue why multiple tees are noted on the signs or Hole Info page. Course has a single set of concrete pads corresponding to the distances for the longs. Never saw a marker, flag, worn patch of grass, or any blessed hint of an alternate tee. Perhaps the signs were made with multiple tees in mind and they either a) never happened, or b) will be added at a later date.

• Wind can certainly be a factor, particularly on the back 9.

• Although I wish they'd mowed a bit deeper into the "rough" on holes 11-14, it most definitely was not a course maintenance issue. All the fairways were well-mowed. They made a conscious decision as to what should/shouldn't be cut. I just think they should have been a bit more judicious about it.

• Leaving this course, there's was no doubt in my mind it's a 3.75... no more, or no less. But since that's not an option, I sit here now, forced to click 3.5 or 4.0. Despite the balanced variety, some good design, and great upkeep, I don't think it quite compares to some of courses I've rated 4.0.
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1 6
DoobieDiscer
Experience: 11.9 years 10 played 6 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Tricky course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 10, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

technical course, well laid out. alot of tight shots through trees, one has a water hazard where i lost a disc (#11), long fairways on the back 9 and its #5 per carload of people and they have people who check your tags.

Cons:

no room on some holes for any error at all, you get little "tree love" on some holes. could be a little better, but its a nice course

Other Thoughts:

careful on #17...its 500 feet and ton of giant grass on the left where alot of discs come up missing.
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4 6
jonesydesign
Experience: 11.9 years 35 played 8 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A little bit of everything 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 17, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Great variety
-Tight, technical shots
-Long, bomber shots
-Well kept grounds

Cons:

-Ridiculously long/hard shots are all rated par 3
-Near a lake but no water in play
-Easy to lose a disc in the brush
-Nice elevation changes

Other Thoughts:

I love to hate Robert Morris. The course is well-designed with lots of variety, but it's so darn difficult to stay on par. I love a good challenge, but some of those 500-600 foot holes just feel like they should be closer to a par 4 or 5. This course will truly test you and your accuracy. It's a must for any serious disc golfer in the area or passing through.
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6 0
sgamerp
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 16 years 99 played 73 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 1, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Shot Variation. This place has pretty much all you can ask for besides the water being in play. Tight Wooded, Bombers, Up and Downhill.
- Place is pretty good of a work out with lots of elevation variation.
- Signs makes it pretty easy to find your way around and know where to go.
-Tee pads Pretty nice Tee Pads here, minus hole 10(it's all rough looking)
-Grass is managed pretty well (as it should be with pay to play)

Cons:

- For a pay to play, there isn't nearly as many trash cans and benches as there should be.
-The staff seems to be pretty unfriendly
-On a Sunny or Windy day the Back 9 can be pretty rough as a lot of it's open without shade or trees.
-It used to have a water hole but they took this out(atleast I have been told this)
-They run out of Score Cards(for a pay to play it should have them)

Other Thoughts:

First hole was kind of hard to find, it's starts in the woods right by the water, but the sign is hard to see from the parking lot.
This place is pretty good and has a lot of fun holes. I think for the pay to play factor makes this a place that I don't really want to come back to. Cold Brook is about the same in distance and more enjoyable. However if I lived in the Kzoo area and there was a small annual fee it may be worth it as there is swimming here too.
Also from what I saw if you walk in its free, but I didn't think there was parking anywhere by it and it's a walk to the first hole.
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6 1
badmidget
Experience: 6 played 5 reviews
4.50 star(s)

I love this course! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 4, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Tee Pads: Concrete and plenty long enough.
Fairways: Some wide some narrow. All unique.
Baskets: Nice quality baskets.
Amenities: Bathrooms available. Benches. Ample Parking.

Overall: Well maintained. Tons of diversity between holes. Some are long some are short. Some are hyzer, but some are anhyzer or forehand. Some have hills, but some are flat. Some are wide open, but some are really tight.

Cons:

In an attempt to dress up a few of the baskets, the park maintenance people added retainer walls around a couple of baskets which looks awesome, but made the baskets too low to the ground.

Other Thoughts:

This is my personal favorite course as of 2012. I love its diversity. The 18th is such a fun hole to end on. It is so well maintained and has a ton more to offer other than disc golf if you're interested. There are picnic areas, a really nice swimming beach, a playground and more.

Both a pro and a con is that they charge for people to play. Last I checked, it was $5 per car or $30 for a season pass. Most of the time this would be a con. However, it keeps the lame ppl that want to trash the course away and it pays the people that keep this course looking so nice. I get my season pass and play there as often as I can... it's well worth it!
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2 1
Clive
Experience: 23.8 years 22 played 3 reviews
4.00 star(s)

One of My Favorites 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 23, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Fantastic variety of holes.
- Elevation changes throughout.
- High level of challenge that will test the skills of nearly everyone.
- Occasionally they will move the pins or utilize additional tee pads to create variety from year to year.
- Excellent plot of land that is well-maintained.
- Clear distinction between front and back nines; can play either or both and this also helps facilitate a good flow of players through the course.
- No dogs. Some people consider this a con but not me. I personally like to keep my shoes and discs devoid of canine fecal matter.

Cons:

- On a really windy day, some holes on the back nine will annihilate your confidence in your skills.
- They replaced what was once a cool over-the-water-to-the-right shot on hole #9 with a lackluster downhill wooded ~180ft shot.
- Friends have mentioned discourtious staff, although I've never had an issue.

Other Thoughts:

- Easily the nicest course in Kalamazoo. If you're coming through town to play Oshtemo and/or Cold Brook, do not overlook Robert Morris. If you live in Kalamazoo and you've never tried R.M., do yourself a favor and make the drive out.
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3 0
Nico28
Experience: 13.7 years 5 played 5 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Course, Best in Kzoo Area 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 18, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is an excellent course and the best in the Kzoo Area. It is maintained greatly and is never repetitive. All holes are fun and make for a great challenge. The park it self is beautiful in the summer. I have only played this course once but would love to play it again.

Cons:

NO BEER, and like said before the teenage park rangers are on a power trip.
Signs could be a little better showing more obstacles.
Some holes are blind, but I guess that is part of the fun and challenge of the park.
$5 to play.
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4 12
sparty
Experience: 16.8 years 28 played 2 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Dont play here 2+ years

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

Pros:

Great cement tees, excellent hole distances, vast area to play. course is huge and has some amazing holes.

Cons:

No pets, rangers are dicks, no beer. Last time I played this course a little 16 yr old ranger thought he would harass my group by following us on a golf cart. didnt really appreciate this much. $20 for a pass to play, no thanks. Cant even bring my dogs out here on this 80+ acre course. What the hell are they thinking?

Other Thoughts:

Ill play at Cold Brook Park, Begg, Oshtemo, Meyer Broadway etc before I ever play this course again. Quit being such snobs and let pets come out. Stop being so damn rude to ppl too.
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10 0
notapro
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.7 years 568 played 281 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Intermediate/Expert 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 28, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Course is set in a hilly and/or wooded park that is divided into two different sections. There are a lot of other things going on here, but it looks like the disc golf is well separated from everything else.
- First section of the course is heavily wooded, with a ton of skinny trees to contend with. A lot of these lines are pretty tight, a straight shot or a RHBH hyzer is crucial to avoid the jail. There are also some holes where an anny or RHFH shot is helpful, especially with some trees near the tee. Elevation changes are definitely present here, there are some longer uphills in the woods and outside, as well as some downhills with some nasty sloped greens.
- Second section is much more open, with patches of rough and larger trees to avoid. There are some much more open ones, that deal with some giant hills, rollaway greens, and well placed trees. Others have defined lines (usually hyzers) that have to go around some dense rough. Again, elevation changes are very pronounced here, with a lot of blind baskets, both up and down.
- Some very well protected baskets out here, both inside the forest and outside. The trees/foliage and slopes make some very, very touchy. Out of control drives and approaches can be severely punished.
- Good mix of hole lengths, on both sides. Some long uphills, like the 500'+ shot on #17, and the elevation on #1 makes it play much tighter and longer. Big arms will have plenty of room out in the open; but don't go too long on some holes.
- Good teepads, signage, and baskets. Navigation isn't a problem, if you keep your eyes peeled.

Cons:

- A fair amount of the holes have very few obstacles, and use length to add more difficulty. These are straight up grip-n-rip holes with little thought needed. Most of the back can be easily done with a RHBH hyzer.
- Holes in the front are on the short side, even from the long tees. Multiple are under 200'. They are still tricky, but they feel a little crammed in.
- A little bit of walking to tee #9, and between some holes. Can be a tiring round from that alone.

Other Thoughts:

- Overall, a well balanced course that provides a bunch of different hole types. Tight forested holes in the front, both up and down, are well complimented by open bomber holes in the back, also up and down. The loops are separate too, so you can choose a 9-holer that best suits if need be.
- Beginners would be overwhelmed by some rough spots here, and experienced players can switch between length and accuracy to score low. Still, probably a good challenge for almost everyone.
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7 0
apdrvya
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 13.9 years 350 played 293 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 5, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Signage--Excellent signage, accurate and gives pin placement along with major trees.
Flow--Course flow nicely through two nine-hole loops, both finishing at the parking lot.
Location--This park is GORGEOUS!! and seems to be primarily disc golf oriented. Most of the other facilities are off of the parking lot and don't come into play on the course.
Aesthetics--Parking lot is on a beautiful lake, only wished that water came into play on the course!
Teepads--All cement and nicely rasped and not slick at all.
Variety--Nice variety of HEAVILY wooded (#1, and much of the front 9) and wide open shots(especially back 9).
Pins--Discraft baskets :) with tall flags to mark the pins on the blind holes.

Cons:

repetition of blind throws on back 9-- just didn't like the back 9 as much as the front 9, seemed almost punishing at times.
Pay to play--though it didn't matter as it was the off season when I played

Other Thoughts:

Don't let hole 1 and 2 disuade you from enjoying your round. they are definitely make or break holes, but there is a lot of goodness left in the course after these two.
Was glad to meet up with new friends and enjoy a couple rounds and will definitely be back in the future.
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9 0
Terry C
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 27 years 54 played 27 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Kzoo's best!! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 18, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Very clean and maintained course
-Great variety of holes,distances and wonderful elevation changes.
-Nice teesigns
-Nice teepads
-Trash cans on most holes
-Bathrooms on site (portopotty after the season ends)
-The road seperates 2 different 9's
-Large poles with flags mark the blind pin placements, this was super cool, Ive never seen it before and loved being able to know where the pin was even though I couldnt see it directly.
-Mix of short and technical to wide open big bombers.
-Great pin placements, roll away potential and OB potential on several holes add to the danger factor.
-Fairways are raked,trimmed and maintained to a tee.
-Beautiful natural feeling to the park.

Cons:

-Pay to play in summer
-No pets
-No alchohol
-No use of water even though its available???
-The course gets very busy (but has great flow to handle it)
-Used to have practice baskets but they were removed???
-Several teepads have settled and are very un-even.

Other Thoughts:

This is a very fun and wonderful park. If you are in the area it is a course you do not want to miss. The park department and the DG volunteers do a great job of maintaining this course. Recent improvements include landscaping around a few baskets, new signs and some new benches. This was one of the parks played during the 2008 disc golf worlds finals. Its the best in Kzoo and definitely worth a drive to play out at least once.
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7 0
Anheuser
Experience: 13.7 years 27 played 9 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Doesn't Get Much Better 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 12, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This place is immaculate. I've never played on a course that is better tended. Lots of different types of holes (compare hole #2 and the open bomb holes on the back 9). Great signs on every hole giving distance and the general layout of the hole. Trashcans at every hole. Cement tee pads, although some are getting worn. Bathrooms on site (although you're using a porto-potty after labor day). Nice benches available to take a break. Easy to navigate. Has some very interesting holes and great elevation changes like the long downhill tunnel through the woods on #18 and the straight uphill start to #10. The road separates the nine holes evenly, both starting and ending at close to the parking lot so you can play the back nine first if you want or play an extra nine easily. Large poles with flags on top give you a view of pin placement on blind shots. Nice mix of short technical holes and longer open bombers. Some of the greens on rolling hills have been built up to a level surface with decorative rocks on the other side and unmowed grass around the basket, giving you incentive to get close on your second shot to avoid rollaways. Fairways are raked and everything is trimmed down perfectly. Offers the perfect balance of natural setting and the feel of a well broken in and playable disc golf course. Shorts are available for play (in some cases two different short tees), but you're gonna want to play from the big boy tees, most of which aren't too ridiculous, except for a couple (#17 is 579 feet and tees off uphill).

Cons:

Not too much to complain about. I guess you could whine about the $5 per car fee to play but I'm more than willing to shell out a few bucks for park upkeep. Make sure if no one is at the gate to pay anyway and put the slip of paper on your dashboard or expect a $10 ticket. The course gets a reasonable amount of traffic, but I've never had to wait too long. A water hole used to be part of the course, and would make it a real solid 4.5 course. Also I noticed the practice basket next to the pond has been removed. Kind of a bummer, but no biggie. No dogs. No alcohol.

Other Thoughts:

You might want to play this course twice (or at least another 9), especially if you've taken a drive to get there. There are fishing piers and swimming areas memorial day to labor day and picnic areas and a playground by the lake for the kiddies. I would actually rate this course a 4.25, but if I had to round up or down I'd go 4.5. I've seen this course go from a 3.5 rated course when I first started playing it in the early 2000's to a 4 to 4.5 rated course. You're going to have a hard time finding a better 18 hole course in the southern half of the lower peninsula. Truly a fantastic course- I feel honored to live within 10 minutes of it. Along with Oshtemo and Coldbrook it makes up a trifecta of wonderful courses to play.
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10 0
Jukeshoe
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.6 years 315 played 266 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Variety 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 6, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Robert Morris, part of a nicely maintained multi-use park located in rural Michigan, offers 18 holes of outstanding variety. Utilizing flat open fields, tunnels of pines, wooded slopes, rolling hills dotted with brush, and twisting fairways, Robert Morris definitely covers all bases with the exception of water. Every hole type is well represented here: tight technical "thread the needle" wooded holes, long open "bomb 'em" opportunities, and just about every possible mix of up, down, left and right. A couple of under-200' ace runs, both hyzer and anhyzer, balanced nicely with several 400'+ holes.
-Great use of elevation. The rolling hills are used to great effect throughout. A couple of the pins on the more open holes are placed on slanted land to increase the threat of rollaways, with OB road behind the pin in one case.
- Protected pins are the norm on the more wooded holes, while low set baskets increase the challenge on a few of the open holes.
- Many unique holes. #1 and #2, wooded tunnel shots off the tee, threaten to start the round off on a bad foot. #10 is a long uphill trek that, once the crest of the hill is reached, turns hard left and finishes with the basket on a small downward slope. #18's fairway runs downhill with woods on both sides and the pin straight ahead at the bottom. One of the longer, open holes has a baseball backstop somewhat in the way of the hyzer route, but shouldn't affect most players.
- Concrete tees (nicely brushed). Short tees are natural and marked by a wooden plank set in the ground. Discriptive signage, benches, and trashcans at each tee. Restrooms, playgrounds, lake, et al. near parking lot.

Cons:

- Water is not utilized, despite a concrete tee whose location suggests that the lake was once used to great effect. An epic downhill shot through woods and over the lake hole seems to have once been set up, and would have been the icing on the cake to this already quite fine course.
- Some of the concrete tees were not level, having settled significantly in one or two places.

Other Thoughts:

- While there are certainly challenges throughout the entire course, the first couple of holes will often prove be the "make or break" holes of the round, as earlier reviewers noted.
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3 3
Pete Nice
Experience: 25.8 years 47 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great variety and recent improvements 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 13, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great vareity of holes and shots. Front 9 is mostly wodded and back 9 is mostly open field shots. -not boring by any means just more open than the front.
A beautiful park.
Nice tees.
Good signage.

Cons:

??? . . .not too many CONS. If I want to nitpick I would point out some of the baskets are quite low and #14 and #17 tees slope downward.

Other Thoughts:

I love this course. If you are in the area it is a course you do not want to miss. The park department and the DG volunteers do a great job of keeping up the course. Recent improvements include landscaping around a few baskets, new signs and I think some new benches.
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4 1
jansenk4
Experience: 14.7 years 4 played 4 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Robert Morris 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 3, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Good course variation: 1,4,10,14,17 uphill 2,7,9, 11,13,16,18 downhill, good numbers of left and right hooking fairways
-Clean, park maintained by staff
-People who play from my experience are respectful
-Good amount of short and long holes (5,8,9,13,16,18 are short enough for the average player to drive/1,3,10,11,17 I've never seen anyone drive past the hole)
-New benches at holes throughout course!
-Many devoted people dedicated to keeping the course in good condition
-No water hazards unless you really try to overdrive hole 9

Cons:

-Pickers in some areas (hole 16,17,18) if you are a wayward driver
-If you don't want to pay, you aren't gonna play

Other Thoughts:

-Although new to the Kzoo area, I found this course to be worthy of playing numerous times.
-Much nicer than Knollwood
-Holes 1-9 across the street from parking lot along the south side of park, holes 10-18 on north side of park. 10 is by station as you enter the park and 18 ends up north of parking lot.
-I come from more wooded courses, so it doesn't have as many spots you can lose a disc, but check in pines if you don't see it on the ground!
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