Milford, MI

Kensington Toboggan

4.665(based on 32 reviews)
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19 0
DFrah
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 5.8 years 227 played 224 reviews
4.00 star(s)

No easy sledding here!

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 1, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

Toboggan - The sled. The myth. The legend.

The site of the Discraft Great Lakes Open is located in Kensington Metropark at the far northwestern edge of the Detroit sprawl. This course is only available for a couple of months out of the year, but packs a wallop when it is open.

As you might guess, elevation is the name of the game at Toboggan. The course plays up, down, and all around several hillsides that are apparently used as toboggan runs in the winter. These aren't kiddie runs either. There are HUGE uphills and downhills throughout the course. The holes that play along the sledding/toboggan runs have relatively wide fairways, but thick rough usually lurks on at least one side. Other holes play up and down in more thickly forested areas. Nothing is thread-the-needle tight here, but plenty tight to force all kinds of different shot shapes.

Several holes stuck out to me:
- #3 is a huge gentle right turn playing down one of the toboggan runs. The fairway widens as it goes. From the long tee position, this 915' bomber is only the second longest on the course.
- #9 is another downhill that plays over thick "don't want to land in there" rough for the first 300'-350' or so off the tee. The basket is another 100'-150' beyond that, near the top of a smaller slope. I just barely cleared the rough with my tee shot, and managed a good enough upshot to make par on this one. It felt like an eagle to me.
- #13 is another gentle right turn and another downhill throw - but this one requires you to navigate through a tight gap on the approach to the pin.
- Finally, I have to mention #15. From the long tee, this one starts as a "top of the world" throw down one of the sledding hills. It feels like the basket should be at the end of the clearing about 500' away. But that's actually when the fairway ducks left into a moderately wooded area (where you'll find the short tee) and then continues ANOTHER 500' down a tighter fairway with a few tree trunks complicating the..."approach?" to the basket. The hole overall is listed as 960' from the long tee, and a more than respectable 567' from the short tee.

There is championship level challenge here. The "short" layout is par 64 and has hole distances averaging 490'. If that isn't enough for you, the long layout stretches that average out to 570'. Nothing is shorter than the 315' finishing hole, other than #12 from the short tees (267' but up a steep, moderately wooded hill). Actually, I'm pretty sure that everything shorter than 400' plays uphill.

The baskets are red Chainstar Pros in great shape. They have the hole number and "Discraft Great Lakes Open" stickered on the band.

The teepads are concrete and plenty long. About half of the holes have the long and "short" pad in place, while the other half only have a single pad used for both layouts.

A few picnic tables are scattered around the course, providing a much-needed place to sit down. The parking lot area has two practice baskets and a restroom building.

Cons:

There are no tee signs, at all. Even temporary little yard-style signs with a hole map taped on them would make a huge difference here. The same holds true for navigational signage. On a course this grueling, accidentally walking in the wrong direction is way more annoying than usual. It was also frustrating to not always be 100% sure if the slab of concrete I was staring at was a long pad, short pad, or both. The small, simplistic map on the scorecard is better than nothing - but how hard would it really be to repurpose 40-50 "garage sale" signs and stick them around the course for tee signs and directional arrows?

This course is incredibly difficult, and there is no easier option on site. I have to think that shooting par from the SHORT tees is an 1000+ rated round. I am a noodle arm who aims well most of the time, and played here from a mix of long and short tees. I finished 25 over par, and wasn't even upset about it. That said - I think that the best courses provide both challenging options like this, AND easier option(s) for newer players. To be fair, disc golfers can drive about 10 (!) minutes across the park from here to the two Black Locust courses - which are much more beginner friendly. [Also I do want to mention the flip side of this effect - I have NEVER felt as proud of carding a par as I did of the two I managed here. The first was on hole 9 as mentioned above. The second was on hole 16 - a 400' beast with similar no-man's land filling much of the space between the tee and basket. My tee shot faded into some thinner rough on the left, but I had a line out and was able to throw a great 200'ish approach shot and sink a 15' ish putt].

As mentioned, the course is only open for about 2-3 months out of the year. If thinking about playing here, ALWAYS check https://www.metroparks.com/Kensington-Metropark/#disc_golf first to see if the course will be open to public play when you are thinking of visiting. For the past few years it has been open for a short window of time during the summer, and then another short window around October. For this year (2023), it is open from now through October 29.

A couple of fairways play pretty close together. It's nothing egregious, but the extreme elevation changes increase the likelihood of errant throws finding an adjacent fairway.

There is a shortage of trash cans on the course. Not unexpected for a "temporary" course, but with a layout this long and grueling you might work your way through multiple snacks and/or drinks by the end.

Other Thoughts:

The total cost to play this course is $15. There is a charge of $10 for a park day pass (payable at the park entrance), plus a separate $5/day disc golf fee for Toboggan (payable at a trailer near the first tee). Scorecards with the small course map are available at the trailer. Credit cards are accepted in both places. If you buy the Toboggan wristband and have energy left after your round, you can play the Black Locust courses on the same day for no additional fee (normally it's a $3 wristband for those two).

The brutal rough here has been well documented. I honestly didn't think it was THAT thick - I don't think it even cracks my top 10 "worst" played in that regard. What does make it a little bit scary is the big downhill throws with the rough on one or both sides - so errant throws can go way off course far into the rough. Other than that, just keep a close eye (and ear) on your discs and you might be just fine. I made it through solo without losing a disc, and only spent a total of maybe 15-20 minutes looking (mostly for a poor tee shot on hole 7). I think I spent more time waiting for other groups than I did looking for discs - I arrived on a Sunday at 10 AM and the course was already filling up. Overall, it took me about 2.5 hours to play the 18 holes. If you have 2+ people and come at a busy time, I'd plan on at least 4 hours.

Out of the 210ish courses I have played, this one reminded me most of two others that are also more temporary than we would like - The Bear and Highbridge Gold at Highbridge Hills in Wisconsin (in the state that I experienced them in, in fall 2022). Neither of those courses have quite as much elevation as Toboggan, but both are also very scenic, challenging plays with great course design - but only passable infrastructure.

I was between a high 4.0 and a low 4.5 here. In the end, I decided on a high 4.0. This is basically a ski hill course with the elevation change and overall challenge factors kicked up several notches - if you can believe that. I'm glad that I made the 2 hour drive out to Toboggan from the Grand Rapids area, and would definitely recommend experiencing it for yourself - BUT only if you are at least 850 rated or so, in good physical shape, and looking for some punishment!
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27 0
nothinbuttree
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 6 years 153 played 36 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Elevate your game here 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 17, 2021 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

7-19 edit: Put #9 in its proper downhill slot--thanks Bogeynomore for catching my senior moment! Too bad I'm not a senior yet...

>The most extreme elevation you can imagine (on literally every single hole).
>Very challenging course-every par is earned.
>Great new teepads and newer baskets.
>Great shot selection, and distance variety.
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First things first: There are two new holes, and three hole changes to discuss.

Hole 5 is gone, replaced with a nearly 500' downhill tunnel shot in the woods. The fairway is pretty wide, and it does go way downhill, but it is still a long way to keep a disc straight. The woods on this hole are not thick, it is some of the most forgiving 'rough' on the course. But birdie is still an excellent score on this par 3.
Hole 6 is a completely new hole as well, and was inserted into the course between the new hole 5 and old hole 6, which is now hole 7. The old hole 7 is now hole 8, etc. It is a long mostly uphill par 4, that first curves left to right, then back right to left, and finishes slightly right to a fairly cleared out but smallish green. Right before the green is a 25' deep ravine, which is blind until you get very close to it. Mind that the first time playing. You can get to the green from down in there, but it will take a great shot, as your lie will be wretched on the steep banks of the ravine.
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Hole 15 is essentially a combination of the old holes 14 and 15. One stands at the old hole 14 teepad, and throws at the old hole 15 basket. This adds about 350'+ of downhill distance to what was a par 4. Well, its still a par 4, even with all this extra distance. Frankly, I think for any sub-1000 player, 4 is a great score on this new hole.
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Hole 16 teepad was moved a short bit, so your line to the basket will change.
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Finally, hole 17's teepad was moved about 90' up the hill. Again, par stays the same even with the extra distance. These five altered/new holes make the course I believe about 2-3 strokes more difficult than the holes they replaced. Coupled with hole 2 being changed to a par 4 in 2019 (or was it 2020?), it would seem unlikely we will see another -18 there anytime soon.
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SUMMARY: Toboggan Disc Golf course is in Kensington Metro Park, a Huron Clinton Metropark located in Milford Township, MI (quite a mouthful). It is a TEMPORARY course, open (meaning baskets in the ground) only most of June and July each year, usually opens Memorial Day, closes shortly after DGLO. ALWAYS checks first to see if course is open before planning a visit. It is the home of the annual US Amateur DG Championships, and, for the last several years, the DGPT Discraft Great Lakes Open (DGLO). The course is closed to the public these two weeks. It is also the site of arguably the best round of disc golf ever played, Paul McBeth's -18, in the 2018 DGLO. Having played it several times now, I am simply amazed someone could do that. Really. The course is that tough. That said, getting pars on many of the holes, even for a rec level player, is not terribly hard if you can throw straight. But getting birdies requires great distance, placement, and excellent putting.
What makes this such a memorable course are the challenge and probably moreso, the elevation changes.
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On most courses, a hole with a 50' elevation change would be THE signature hole. At Toboggan, that is about the average elevation change per hole. There really are zero holes with no elevation change, including the newly designed holes 5 and 6. Again, these are not small changes, like 15-20 feet. No, these are all fairly large elevation differences. This course will wear you out physically, and also wear out your arm. Very few courses anywhere require the uphill shots Toboggan does. On about 10 holes. But you will play it again. I don't care how good or bad you are, once you taste a full half dozen or more top of the world type shots, you WILL want to play it again.
The following holes play mostly downhill: 1 (a truly epic opening hole, IMHO), 3, 5, 9, 13, 15, 16
These holes play mostly uphill: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 18 (yes, that is 9 holes uphill. Enjoy.)
These holes play down then up: 7, 17. Hole 16 is only a 'slight' downhill, and compared to the rest of the holes, will seem fairly flat, but its still down gradient. .
For those noticing, the stretch from the bottom of hole 7, through the top of hole 12 is quite demanding.

Cons:

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>Only open 8-10 weeks per year, and then only in the summer months, when MI mosquitoes can be harsh and the weather can be the hottest.
>The absolute most impenetrable rough known to mankind.
>No tee signs or next teepad directions.
>Fees both to enter the park, and then to play the course. Overall, the total $ to play is not the issue, just a personal pet peeve of mine to have to pay twice.

Other Thoughts:

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BASICS:
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>Teepads--Concrete, new for this season, great condition, decent length as well. About half the holes do have shorter teepads as well, I hesitate to call them am pads, maybe blue and gold pads is the best description. DGCR says they are the 'red' and 'blue' teepads. Hah. Don't believe it. None of the shorter pads have tee signs, you almost have to play the course once and look around to see some of them.
>Wooded/open--most holes are fairly open, though trees come into play on many holes. New holes 5 and 6 are very wooded, but offer fair lines. A couple holes have small gaps to hit, but for the most part, one's challenge on every hole is dealing with the large elevation changes.
>Baskets--New red chainstars
># holes--18
>Setting, type of course, fee?--Kensington Park, fee to enter park, a separate fee to play disc golf. But worth every penny. In addition to Toboggan, there are two other 18 hole courses (significantly more wooded), a ball golf course, a very large lake with boating, rentals, fishing, a large splash park, swimming beaches, and riverboat style tours of the lake. There is also biking, camping, hiking, tobogganing, ice skating, and cross country skiing in the winter, picnicking, playgrounds, ball fields, birding, a farm center, and a nature center. All in one park.
>Elevation--This isn't a course in the Rocky Mountains, where there are certainly holes with far larger elevation changes. But every single hole here does have significant elevation changes. You will throw epic downhill shots and uphill shots that make you say: "Is that all the farther I went, seriously?"
>Distance of holes--No gimmes here. Every birdie is VERY well earned. From the long tees, holes range from a severe uphill 315' to the new hole 15 at 960'. There are NO par 5's. But there are nine par 4's. Total distance from the long pads is 10,100 or so feet.
>Ease of getting to--Very easy, just a few minutes off I-96.
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AMENITIES:
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>Parking--This can get tight when busy. I have never played on a weekend, but have heard stories. I have never seen the course overly busy the six times I have played, but those were all week days. Get there early if you play on the weekend, since the course is only open about 2 months each year, weekends get super busy from what I have heard.
>Bathrooms--A nice permanent one by hole 1/18, and also a port-a-john on hole 13. Great feature.
>Water/food nearby--Water fountain (didn't try) and soda machine by hole 1 bathroom. Else, plenty of food within 5 minutes of the park.
>Clubhouse/disc shop--No, but a small selection of discs at a nearby deli.
>Benches--Yes, on most holes
>Trash cans--Yes, not every hole, but enough, as I recall.
>Bag holders--No.
>Tee signs--Surprisingly, no, and that is one big negative. Since it is a temp course,
>Next tee direction/signs--No, but many holes have well-worn trails leading to next teepad, but a map is HIGHLY recommended.
>Wheelchair/cart friendly--No, and no, mostly because pulling a cart up so many big hills is probably more tiring than using a bag. But terrain-wise, yes mostly friendly for carts.

COURSE PLAY:

>Shot variety--Most drives are candidly more concerned with playing the elevation change than huge turns or hyzers. There are a few holes where there is significant shot-shaping in addition to the elevation (like 1, 6, 8, 11, 13, and 18). One notable shot type missing is rollers from the teepad--cannot see many roller plays.
>Layout, long walks (inc back to car), loops--One very long loop, no real opportunity to 'just play 9' without significant backtracking. No long walks between holes though, just a very long course overall.
>Total distance walked--Average over 3 rounds last week there was 3.65 miles. With the hills involved, and the inevitable searching for discs in the impenetrable rough, this course will WEAR. YOU. OUT.
>Ease of finding next tee--You definitely should get a map.
>General difficulty--The long tees (only ones I have played) are a top level professional layout, meant to challenge even 1050 rated players. No hole is easy. Pars are good on every hole. Best advice is to STAY IN THE FAIRWAYS. Hacking through the rough in 90 degree skeeter weather is no fun. I'll trade a few extra strokes to not play hide and seek out there. Always seem to anyway...
>Mud/water issues--These seem minimal, but never played after heavy rains.
>Water or O/B to contend with--No water comes into play at all, but if playing the DGLO layout, there is O/B on mostly the downhill bomber holes like 1, 3, 17. For most of the rest of the course, the rough is the O/B. If you land in it, you wish you could have just taken an O/B stroke. Because...
>Difficult rough/lost disc risk--Extreme. This is quite literally the worst rough I have seen in my life. It can be very thorny as well as being incredibly thick. One round, my son's approach shot on hole 8 went just past the green. Just barely slid off from what we could see. We spent 15 minutes looking before we found it--9 inches off the green, right in the general area we thought it had to be too. And if you go high and right on hole 3, just consider that a donation to nature. It's gone. Nearly every hole has this impervious rough. If you play aggressive, you will very likely lose some plastic.
>Scrape/scratch risk--Very high, mostly from looking for errant throws.
>How busy was course/park--Not very on the weekdays I have played, but word on the street is it gets super busy on weekends.

OVERALL:

>Fun/enjoyment factor, would I play again? As long as my body can take it. Top 5 personal favorite.
>Who will this course challenge? Every person in the world not named McBeth.
>Is it worth a drive? It is worth a trans-oceanic flight.
>Anything unique? The elevation. Many signature epic holes that the elevation creates.
>Would be a half star higher with--Tee signs, being open more than 8 weeks, and some trimming back of at least some of the rough. If not for the elevation, these cons would likely render this a 4.0 course, but the elevation really does add a LOT to this course.

I am in my 50s, 100 or so courses played, 875ish.
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15 0
jjtwinnova
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 8.7 years 246 played 97 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Take Me to Toboggan! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 9, 2019 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Toboggan is a famed course, housing the United States Amateur Disc Golf Championships for many years, and now the Pro Tour's Great Lakes Open. It's famous for a reason.

Toboggan is full of signature holes, starting with hole one. A downhill sweeping RHBH anhyzer shot, or a booming righty backhand, it's a beautiful opening shot, and it's amazing to see the flight of the disc.

Amenities wise, for a temporary course, they are definitely top of the line. The rubber pads are definitely the best rubber pads I've been on, and I did not deal with any slips off the tee. The Chainstar Pro baskets with their red band are visible through the woods and across the rolling hills.

Back to hole design, for what looks like a bomber course to most, the Toboggan actually requires every single shot in the game and then some to shoot well. While there are a lot of open holes, most every hole has the thickest rough in existence, meaning you still have to place your shots, and the holes with trees require amazing precision. With a combination of uphill and downhill holes, as well as right and left turning shots, this course has a hole for almost everyone.

Navigation is a breeze here, and that's not just for a temporary course, this course has great navigation regardless of the course status. Trails are cut through the dense rough, and no tee is too far from the last hole's basket, but never too close that it comes into play. You don't have to walk much more than the course's length at Toboggan, which is a relief.

My favorite holes on the course are the big downhill shots, which their are an abundance of. Holes 1, 3, 8, 12, 14, and 17 all allow you to watch the disc sore out of your hand, and just glide forever. It's beautiful.

Cons:

The biggest con, as mentioned in other reviews, is the availability of the course. You can only play here for a few weeks a year before it is packed away. While understandable, it really is a shame. However, it makes the pleasure of playing it much more special, like you're part of an exclusive club.

The rough at this course is insanely thick. The forests off the fairway are near impenetrable, and the off-fairway grasses are near waist high in some places. This is a great aspect of the design, and makes placement off the tee so important, but it also makes finding discs much more difficult. Furthermore, there are a lot of blind tee shots. The best way to play this course is during a tournament when there are many spotters on the course, because if you are just playing a casual round, a lost disc is almost expected.

This course is championship level. This course is not for a casual player, and you cannot expect to shoot extremely well if you don't have over 350 feet of power as well as great accuracy. There are no short tees, multiple pins, etc. You are forced to play the beast of a course as it is laid out.

Other Thoughts:

My experience at the Toboggan for the USADGC this year was extremely memorable. The combination of signature holes, as well as the amazing atmosphere make this a must play.

It's a hard course, but with a strong will can be scored on, even for an average player. My first round here, I shot a +5. My last round, I shot a -3, and still left strokes on the course. This course can be learned and attacked, and it can beat you up. It's a true gem, and if you have the chance to play it, make the trip. You won't regret it.
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17 0
mrclc
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.6 years 730 played 46 reviews
5.00 star(s)

A Temporary Titan 2+ years

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

Pros:

The Toboggan temp course is unabashedly my favorite course that I've ever played, and I've been to some of the greats (Selah Ranch, Flip City, Idlewild, and Beaver Ranch to name a few). After my first visit in 2014, I replayed the holes over and over in my mind, racking my brain for something that I didn't like or something I was disappointed with. Nothing came to mind. I shot +20.

Fast forward to this year, where I took vacation days and orchestrated a mid-week trip for just one more round at the elusive course. This time I stepped on each teepad and smiled, fondly recalling the memory of each hole the year before. I shot +10.

This course provides massive elevation change and (probably more impressive) an epic feeling of scale that is a rarity, if not unparalleled, in disc golf. Toboggan feels like playing on a ball golf course on a ski hill with its steep ups, downs, twists, and turns. It has a way of making you feel very small, especially as you're about to tackle elevated monoliths like Holes 1, 2, 3, 13 and 17. It's not dissimilar to mountain golf, but the ball golf landscaping makes it distinctly Midwest.

The significant hole lengths and sweeping downhill shots often lead to the course being unfairly labeled as a bomber's paradise. It's true that a cannon arm will do you a favor on a number of holes, but technical and often lengthy upshots are where a round is made or broken. Toboggan favors distance-based risk, but punishes blind power hucking.

In my mind, the best part of this course is that despite all the potentially daunting challenge it's still fairly accessible. I never played the "classic" Toboggan layout, infused with massive clusters of Russian Olive on every hole, and I'm kind of glad I didn't. Their clearance has allowed enough room for error that rec level players like myself can spend time playing disc golf instead of scouring the thorny bushes for the handful of times one gets away from me. This ups the fun factor exponentially and significantly reduces round-killing frustration.

Unlike nearly every other temporary layout, Toboggan has permanent restroom facilities and a shaded picnic area to enjoy lunch between rounds.

Cons:

Obviously the temporary nature of the course is its biggest flaw. Last year Toboggan went in over a week before the Discraft Great Lakes Open. This year? Two days. Although part of me idealizes the romance of enjoying something fleeting, it's a shame that this layout can't exist at least from Memorial Day to Labor Day. The area would be less crowded when open, and would sign me up for a Huron-Clinton MetroParks annual pass (currently $30/year) from a whole state away in a heartbeat. $5 a round? I'm in. $10 a round? Still in. I'll sign up for whatever it would take to turn this into at least a seasonal course.

I arrive before 8am, and I've played my rounds without running into another soul on the course. However, by the time I finish the parking lot is usually filled to capacity and beyond, and it seems like tee times and mob golf are a real issue. Get there early for a more peaceful round.

As always, a temporary course lacks the amenities and "personal touch" that permanent courses do, but everyone involved in course setup really does an exceptional job making this one as seamless as possible. A lot of people complain about the rubber tees, but I prefer them to rutted ground any day. If you don't, you can always tee off on either side. Concrete tees would obviously be amazing, but aren't an option here.

Other Thoughts:

I heard a nasty rumor recently that this may be the final year for the USADGC at Toboggan. I hope this isn't the case, and I hope that even if the venue changes the course won't become extinct. The layout may only be temporary, but it's an absolute blast to play and a joy to behold.

PROTIP: If you're going to beat the crowds and come early, make sure you wear waterproof shoes or boots. The grass is always soaked from morning dew, and you'll be splashing around by the time you're finished if you're not careful.

Unlike Black Locust on the other side of the park, there is no golf-specific fee for Toboggan. However, park access is $7/day for those without an annual sticker.

Regardless of whether you get into the park from Milford Rd or Kensington Rd, it's a fairly significant drive to get to the course. You'll definitely want to consult a map. Follow the outer loop and look for the toboggan run on the map.
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6 0
Mark R
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.7 years 115 played 89 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Withdrawals? Check Leviathan 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 2, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Hard to add to many of the spot-on reviews already written. What I can say is that if you are a player whose home course (or most of those nearby) lacks distance or elevation, this is the place to get your fill of both. There are few if any Michigan courses with this extent of continuous, 'unrelenting' elevation change. This aspect of the course makes it a blast as well as memorable. Several woods holes (4-7) approach Idlewild-level brutality, but retain most of the fun factor. Hole 8 deserves special mention, one of many 'compound' holes. Hole 8 requires a high drive from a high tee pad to clear tall trees guarding a discrete fairway. Holes 1, 3 and 14 are huge bombs from the top of the tallest hill on the course to greens located below. Hole 12 is another terrific downhill shot to a small ravine below with the pin placed just across the creek bed, with a tunnel shot just the right width for backhands or forehands.

Cons:

Access is the biggest issue. Beyond being only open for a week at most any given year, the course was severely crowded. Myself and my fiancee took nearly four hours to finish a round, with many huge groups. There are no short tees on the course, and players with less skill or throw distance are going to be chewed up and spit out by shots like the opening drive, or the brutal 700+ foot uphill Hole 2. Hole 17 is perhaps a few feet too long, has some high grass that eats discs. There are a number of opportunities to lose discs throughout the course. However, this course is so expansive that it's hard to imagine being able to mow it all completely.

Other Thoughts:

This course is as the namesake suggests, a toboggan hill course similar to other ski hill courses, but with even more huge downhill and uphill fairways, and very few filler holes. In terms of length, this is the longest 18 hole course I know of. With full seasonal access and a short tee course, as well as more signage, this is a 5.0 course. In Michigan, only the best holes at Leviathan, Beast, or Flip match the best of this course.
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6 0
waterhyzerd
Experience: 125 played 20 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Tobo 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 28, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Massive and unrelenting elevation
Scenic
Lots of true par 4's and one true par 5
Very balanced in terms of lefty/righty, FH/BH
Good mix of max distance and placements shots

Cons:

Temporary
Nightmare for beginners and casuals that can't control a 300+ foot drive consistently
When it is open, available days to play the course are limited due to tournaments. It will also get crowded very quickly on the off days so get there early.

Other Thoughts:

Kensington Toboggan is a very unique course. Every shot off the tee requires an aggressive, yet controlled drive often followed by a long upshot that must be precise. With that said, you can score very well here without having to make a putt outside of 30ft; in my opinion thats what is unique about toboggan. And although some may say the course is "easier" without the Russian olive brush that was recently cleared, a few holes have been lengthened to mitigate the difference. In my opinion, hole 4 is quite possibly the hardest par three i've ever played with the new pin placement. I value elevation and scenery the most in disc golf courses and those factors play heavily in why I rate this a perfect course. It does however, require consistent above-average distance on every shot as I mentioned previously. So those that are used to and prefer mostly deuce or die type courses, this one isn't for you.
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10 1
Moose33
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.2 years 202 played 200 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Epic Course, Epic Workout 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 5, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is an amazing test of will on the backside of Kensington Metropark, it plays up and down the sledding hills and is one of the most challenging courses I have ever played.

Your alternating between beautiful downhill bombs and uphills that only the superhumans can drive up.

The teepads are all huge grippy rubber mats, and the baskets are all perfectly balanced especially considering they are only there for a few weeks a year.

Many of the steep downhills have wooden tracks alongside, this probably serves some purpose for winter sports, I don't know for sure since I don't do cold, but it makes for a good reference point and if the course was wet like when I played it makes a good walking path.

It was a torrential downpour when I was playing but it trudged through and didn't shoot too badly, and somehow managed to keep all my discs.

It's an amazing challenge and a true endurance test.

It's a beautiful park, and this is the crown jewel of the lad for about a month out of the year.

The locals are great and I bounced through a few groups as a few gave up as the rain got harder.

Bring your full bag of tricks, if you have a shot chances are you'll need it here.

Cons:

The cons are there are only a few days of the year you can play. But that's part of it's charm and what keeps the land so darn beautiful.

You cannot play there without a guide or spotter, there isn't any signage and you will lose discs.


Other Thoughts:

If you are in the general vicinity of this course during the time it's open, play it. You have to, it's a true experience.

I have to give major kudos to BogeyNoMore for letting me know it was open! Thank you sir.
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8 0
TalbotTrojan
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.6 years 112 played 104 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Real Disc Golf Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 8, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Epic design on an epic piece of land. This is one of the few courses that I have found that feels like a true golf course in every sense of the historical reality of what golf is supposed to be like. This course is a true par 62 gem which requires placement shots and good putting to score well. There are so many different types of shots that one must throw here and even a good shot can be wasted with a bad next one. The requirements for this course do not end with accuracy, distance is also important. It simply put requires the best. The terrain is very hilly and well used. Most holes are going up or down hill some way or the other. The parks department has done a good job of really going through this property as of late clearing out invasive plant life. Fairways get mowed for the course when it is in the ground. The local crowd that has made this course happen and continues to get permission for it year after year truly loves this place and the fact that they can host major tournaments here. Without the people that are involved with this course it would not be what it is.

Cons:

The very short term temporary nature of this course is really sad and is the biggest con to this course. Additionally there is a park entrance fee per day just to get to the course. This is a very small price considering the quality of the course. This years rendition fo the course had literally one thing wrong with it. While there were very nice rubber tee pads on every hole, the ground underneath the tee pads was less than ideal. It appeared as though they put down sand in an attempt to make them more level but sand does not maintain its shape, especially early on in its settling process. This made for some tee pads that were less than ideal and forced tournament rules to allow space on either side of the rubber mat to throw from.

Other Thoughts:

There is a good history to this course and it really is one of the must play courses in the world. There is a good reason that The United States Amateur Disc Golf Championships does not move around like most other majors (minus the USDGC of course). It is one of the few courses that feels more like a real golf course where every shot matters and any mistake is punished to some extent. Having the invasive plants does provide for some new lines on holes that apparently were not there before and allows some bad shots to not be punished as much as they used to. For any serious player, this is a must play course at least once in your life. Be sure to plan to spend at least one Memorial Day in this part of Michigan in your life or find some way to play one of the tournaments that are played on this course. During my trip there this year I literally only played this course and never felt like I missed out on potentially playing other great courses in this area. This course really is amazing. Bring a map as things are not permanent.
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12 0
apdrvya
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 13.9 years 350 played 293 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Monumental 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 24, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Aesthetic--area, while temporary, is disc golf exclusive while the course is in the ground. the area is a winter sports/rec area during the winter.

Baskets-- great, nice repair and somewhat visible. Could potentially use tall flags to increase visibility

Challenge-- Holy hell. this course is an absolute beast! almost 9000 ft and only 18 holes is friggin monumental.

Variety-- yeah, there's variety here. Huge is the name of the game here, the shortest hole is 285 (I believe) but most holes are 400' +. Up, Down, Left, Right (BABA select start) and truly monsterous holes...

Challenge-- this course will kick your ass six ways from sunday. It will challenge EVERY shot in your bag and leave you wanting more.

Routing/Nav-- Fairly easy after finding the first pin. the map provided shows it as a harder right but the basket position is along the tree line to the (slight) right of the tee.

#8-- one of the most unique holes that I've ever played. stands out to me as one of the biggest risk v reward holes without water out there!

Cons:

Let me preface this by saying that when I was there a lot of the ammenities that are normally there for tourneys weren't there.

Teepads-- sandy skids in the grass. During tourney times it's said to have flypaper or rubber mats.

Teesigns-- none there when I was there, I'm sure during tourney times, there are some form of teesigns

Temp course-- the fact that it's a temp course is a true shame. This could be an amazing destination course during all but the winter... The Black Locust course is nice but this course is phenomenal!

NOT BEGINNER FRIENDLY! this course is NOT for beginners (let alone 3yrs experienced).

Rough-- the rough is killer, but you're not supposed to be in the trees now are you?

Other Thoughts:

I couldn't believe that on a friday before noon the parking lot was FULL.. this course, while in the ground, is a true destination.
This course kicked our butts and left me (not b3nder) wanting more...
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10 2
steven2361
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.9 years 286 played 53 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Elevation rocks! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 7, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The elevation here is out of this world and you really need to know how to change your throws throwing up and down the hills. There are many par 4s and one par 5.

Hole 1 is a big left to right downhill hole. It takes a very accurate shot to get a look at birdie. Watch out for the rough right of the basket.

Hole 2 is the par 5. It is flat for the first 270 than steep uphill all the way to the green. The fairway is pretty wide. If you figure out how you can best play this hole to your strengths it should be an easy birdie. Going for the eagle is super dangerous.

Hole 3 is the biggest downhill drive on the course. A good drive can fly around 700 feet! It takes two solid drives to have a look at birdie. Right is death no matter where you are on the fairway. Even if you fly a mile left you should be be in good shape even if it doesn't look it from the tee.

Hole 6 is a great par 4. The drive to the landing zone around the corner is longer than it looks. There is no real laying up on this drive.

Hole 7 is a good uphill par 4. Just get out of the gap on the drive and you should be in good shape.

Hole 8 is a long right to left hole that is tricky to birdie.

Hole 10 is one you want to birdie. It is around 300 left to right. The green is sloped down and left though so you really need to try and land flat. Early and right is death along with straight and long. Some lay up so as to not bring bogey into play.

Hole 11 is definitely one you want to birdie, an uphill open shot.

Hole 12 is a fun hole but it is a tweener hole for sure. It is too dangerous to go for the big left to right birdie so must lay up with midranges.

Hole 13 is where you can show off your distance bombing up the hill. It is an easy birdie for the big arms.

Hole 14 is a downhill hyzer.

Hole 15 is a great par 4 that slopes down and right and then up to a dangerous tilted green. It is a tough 3 to get.

Hole 17 is a wide open bomb first drive and then an approach way up the hill to a plateaued green.

Hole 18 is a big left to right up the hill. Righty backhand players never really get into the circle here.

Signs are good when the course is in.

Cons:

Hole 4 is a tweener hole that is very hard to two, and easy to bogey. It is a tricky hole.

Hole 5 is a blind uphill short hole that is a poke and hope hole.

Hole 9 is a tweener uphill right to left hole. It is too long for most anyone to birdie. Going for the green is dangerous if you have the arm as the green is super small.

Hole 16 is a blind big stall hyzer or a flex forehand for the birdie. I just don't really care for this hole.

This is a temp course with fly pads when it is in for the USADGC.

Other Thoughts:

Most of the holes are blind here. Use a spotter.

USADGC is my favorite event.
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12 1
#19325
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.8 years 351 played 175 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Toboggan Addict 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 17, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

The Toboggan is an absolute beast that plays 8,823 feet. The par is 62. There are seven par 4's and one par 5. This is modern day golf designed for Gold Level play. Just as the name states the tobaggan run comes into play on holes 1, 2, 3, & 18. There is great elevation all over the course. Many holes have open and longer fairways with tall grass. There are many holes that force a line and have a gap to hit. Many have some nasty thick rough and woods to get in trouble. This course will test every shot in your bag. The area is very beautiful and the course is isolated to just disc golf.

Discraft makes awesome tee signs for this course.

Great brand new Discraft Chainstars.

Hole #1 starts off with a boom. 477 feet playing downhill. Very reachable for most skilled players.

Hole #2 is a beast playing back up the Toboggan. It's a par 5 and takes 3 awesome shots to get a birdie. Thick woods line most of the fairway.

Hole #3 is another crusher down the toboggan. Bigger arms will have a great shot of getting a 3 on this 900+foot par 4.

The rest of the course has a great variety.

The green on #17 is elevated and small.

Finally, after taking a beating you have to mash a shot up the toboggan to finish. It's a fun type of pain!!!


Cons:

It's too bad this course isn't permanent. The rubber tees will have to do since this course is only open a month or so. Go play it!

Other Thoughts:

Make a day of it. Play the Black Locust too!

Navigation and flow is pretty solid. The first time thru might be frustrating because the course is long and pins are blind. To really enjoy this course play it several times. Have some patience. Take a map!!!

Playing with a friend and spotting for each other will help the fun factor. Be prepared to look for discs if you are throwing by yourself. The rough and blind shots can get you.

I would play it the day after the USADGC. The course is mowed and always looks fantastic. The rough will be beat down a bit from all the play.

If you get a chance to play Am Nationals do so. It's the best amateur tournament that I played.
http://www.usadgc.com

You can find more information on the course here.
http://www.usadgc.com/course.html
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9 1
1978
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.6 years 392 played 48 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Amazing 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 10, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course is amazing. Beautiful vistas, awesome spectator course. It is rare to have so many holes where you can marvel at the full flight of a disc. Half of the holes are breathtaking. You start with a massive downhill anny 400ft+ par 3 then right back up the hill with a par 5. Distance AND accuracy are important here, then back down again a monster hill with awful mean dense brush to the right on #3. Brush hogging here really made the difference, thanks guys. Then you weave in and out of woods emerging bloodied, tired and elated to see even more open bombs on 14. Layout is very fair maybe only benefiting HUGE sidearm throwers and lefties slightly. Most of us arent in that big sidearm crowd so it plays fair. Baskets were in great shape and greens offered a number of risk reward roll away threats. Grass on the green was short and perfect, blue lines painted for the Am Nats were a nice touch showing you 30'. This course is a photographers dream. I would make any flight to get back here and play again.

Cons:

There were a few nit pick things to mention that keep this from a 5* in my book. I am mindful of the fact that this is a temp course, so every year you basically have to "build" a course for the Am Nats event. Rubber tee pads were nice and sticky but not level and bumpy. We were given the option to tee from the grass because of this. A few of the holes like #6 and #12 are poke and hope. There are only 2 baskets visible from the teebox. There are few ace runs. Greens are SMALL. On a number of holes you have to lie on your belly to get a putt from 15' (4, 6, 11, 12, 13 etc) Hole 11's basket is blocked by a tree with very low hanging branch and there were a few spots where some tree limbing would make the holes a little more fair. The Toboggan is a disc eater. In my final round I hit a tree and knocked out 2 discs including myown. I found (and returned) 8 discs while looking for my own errant shots.

Other Thoughts:

Despite the Cons I listed, the course was amazing and a MUST PLAY. Everyone plays the same course and if you don't like putting from 20' from under a bush, make a better upshot or drive. Thanks for giving us this gem 30 days out of the year. We appreciate it.
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10 1
jhgonzo
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 25.8 years 92 played 45 reviews
5.00 star(s)

"Ken...sing...ton," My Final Dying Words, Revealed To Be a Toboggan 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 31, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

1. Variety. While Toboggan falls into the "lightly wooded" category (and that's a generous classification), you'll be required to demonstrate mastery of nearly every shot type in any serious golfer's repertoire. Big downhill RHBH anhyzers on #1 and #3, massive straight uphill holes like #2 and #13, HUGE risk/reward holes like hitting the gap on #16 or punching through wooded tunnels on #7 and #15, and plenty of reachable pins if you know how to select the proper discs and execute your shots. There is also a premium on landing zones out here with several Par 4s and a Par 5 (it's a Par 62 for 18 holes!), emphasizing the "it's all about the second shot" mentality if you land where the designers intend (#7 was a terrific example of this). Aside from shot placement, the other big factors out here are the spectacular elevation changes and wind, and when you're dealing with both on a hole, you're in for some awesome disc flights or some severe punishment (my round suffered more from the latter).
2. Maintenance. In general, the upkeep out here is phenomenal. The fairways were mowed (lined with the dreaded tall grass), litter wasn't a problem, and paths made finding the next tee pretty intuitive. The big red/white/blue and "DGC" design on #1 and #17 were a really cool touch! The modest fee to enter the park ($5) and the disc golf fee ($2) are put to good use out here (although I never did manage to find a place to pay my $2 since I skipped past Black Locust, limited on time and wanting to attack this course more than anything...if Discraft or USADGC staff see this review and would like my money, I will happily PayPal you!).
3. Baskets. Chainstars seem to be the standard on a lot of Michigan courses, and I really grew accustomed to them in my several days playing courses around the state, though they took a little getting used to. These ones caught really well and were in great shape, and the "ching" on these targets have a certain sound that's unlike the Machs or DISCatchers I'm used to playing on. I guess even variety in the holing-out sound is a pro!
4. Signage. Temporary like the rest of the course, but very colorful laminated placards showing hole number, a rough layout of the hole, distance, and par, all superimposed on Discraft/USADGC logos. Neat, simple, and effective...and that's all one really needs.
5. Challenge. I typically include the caliber of a course under my "variety" section, but this course is so unique and so championship-quality that it deserves a special mention. Comparable to Highbridge Gold (a Par 68) in terms of difficulty, but quite obviously in a class of its own. What sets this course above most all others, for me, can best be described anecdotally: On #17, I experienced a mental game like never before...stepping up to the tee, you see the pin nearly 800' away tucked up on a cool hill, and the mowed right-to-left fairway surrounded by tall grass suggests where one ought to land (I'm sure big arms can clear this turn in the fairway and land fairly close to the hill)...like in a chess game, I tried to plan not only my tee shot (with a Buzzz) but my second (with a Blizzard Boss) and third as well (it was clear that taking a 4 here would be quite the accomplishment at my skillset)! Any hole that can force a player to mentally "pre-play" the hole is not only unique, but resembles our cousin, ball golf, more than most bolfers would care to admit. As disc technology progresses, I predict more golf-like holes like this popping up on permanent courses.
6. Amenities. Immaculate restrooms off the parking lot. I wouldn't eat off the floors, but I was blown away by the condition of the pissers, especially in a large heavily used park like Kensington. Trash receptacles and benches were present in several areas as well.
7. Navigation. Tricky in some areas (see Cons), but mowed paths lead the way to the next tee, and the dirt tees are easily spotted in the open areas.

Cons:

1. Tees. Rubber mats are only put in immediately before Am Nats; if you play here before or after, you'll experience sandy dirt tees with no strictly defined tee boundaries (not like I'm calling foot faults during casual play!). While I understand the need to keep work out here focused on the big event, I don't think putting the rubber down a bit early would be a huge inconvenience, especially if qualifiers are still held here in the week or so before the tourney.
2. Navigation. The staff at the booth seemed to only be aware of the Black Locust course, so I drove to that area to get some better directions, only to encounter players who seemed to react to the word "Toboggan" like I'd asked if they knew where the nearest place to buy black market human organs was. No, I'm not that good of a golfer, but I thought it was hilarious to see their wide-eyed replies, which were about as vague as what I'd gotten at the entrance booth. Driving through the park and starting to worry that maybe I'd been misinformed about the course being in the ground already, I eventually saw signs for "sledding hills" and knew I was on the right track (and to digress here - I have never seen sledding hills ranked by difficulty like out here! I thought you just plopped your butt on a saucer or toboggan and let gravity take over. Do they have a Sledding Am Nats here in the winter?). Finding the tee for #1 was a bit tricky as it seemed nobody was playing the course when I was there (it had been raining), but after finding the tee for #3 and the basket for #2 and seeing a group hole out on #18, logical thinking and knowledge of course design took over. Some areas on the course itself could benefit from basic directional signage - again, only to make casual rounds flow better.
3. Signage. Several signs were missing, even with the course only having been in for a little over a week, so either chuckers threw them in the woods or someone took them for souvenirs (I admit they'd make cool souvenirs, but I won't resort to theft AND vandalism for my own selfish desires). Some of the hole routes outlined on the sign were pretty vague or exaggerated.
4. Rough. My rating obviously isn't affected by this frustrating feature, but just be aware that you will more than likely be in big trouble if you get off the fairway. I lost my beloved yellow Magic off the tee on #15 in the right rough with a shot that was JUST ABOUT perfect but somewhere on the edge of the fairway, and nearly 30 minutes of searching yielded nothing. The canopy is extremely thick, so discs may never reach the ground in some spots. The long grass rough lining many fairways could probably be kept just a bit shorter to aid in finding "almost" nice shots.
5. Design. There is just a little more bias favoring lefty shots (RHBH anhyzers for me) than I'd like to see on such a generally well-rounded course. Fortunately, the varying distances on these holes keep it from being repetitive.
6. Length. This in itself isn't a con to me, but the basic signage combined with some long blind holes requires a lot of scouting ahead. The scouting required on #8 was actually quite fun (you'll know what I mean when you actually stand on the tee and say, "WTF?!").

Other Thoughts:

Playing this course was a fantastic adventure. I almost played it solo, but my sister-in-law's boyfriend offered to tag along since I had expressed a desire for a spotter. He had only played once over a decade ago and hadn't taken much away from his previous experience, but I can tell you that after bringing him here to experience his "real first round ever" will make most courses pale in comparison. This is NOT a beginner course (although he had a blast!) and will frustrate most people lacking experience. I shot a +21 playing the course par (seriously, who plays all 3s on a course like this?), and to put things into perspective, the 2012 USADGC first round leader shot a -5.
The fact that it's temporary may be a con for some folks, but to me it is what it is; indeed, the limited availability makes this feel like a really special disc golf experience (especially since I know I'll never play in the USADGC), and I encourage every serious disc golfer to make the trek here...just make sure you verify that it is in fact in the ground (though if you travel here to find it pulled, you could enjoy Black Locust or many other great courses in the area) before making any lengthy voyage! While some might not feel a 5 is warranted because of the temp nature, dirt tees, untamed rough, or whatever, this is some serious freakin' golf and probably one of my favorite courses ever. I feel privileged to have played it and will definitely make more attempts if I'm out that way in the future (we usually travel to Adrian, MI, around Memorial Day every year, so I'm excited to realize I may be able to make a tradition out of playing here!).
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8 1
kw83028
Experience: 13.7 years 79 played 25 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Absolutely Amazing 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 3, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Terrain - The giant hills of Toboggan are extremely fun!
-Shot selection
-Variety
-New Baskets
-Very well maintained
-I thought navigation was pretty easy, but I printed out the satellite map of the course and that made it a breeze
-Restrooms at the start
-Huge parking
-Almost everything!

Cons:

-Tee signs - The tee signs are a joke to me. The only thing they are good for is telling you what hole you are on and the distance. They picture they actually give for hole layout is down right hilarious. They are way off. There are many signs that show you throwing out 300ft, making a 120 degree turn then throwing backwards 100 ft. lol. They aren't even close to how the holes are actually laid out unfortunately
-Not a con to me, but some would say distance, it's a huge course
-Pretty unforgiving if you don't stay in the fairway
-Not many trash cans or benches
-Definitely not for the beginner

Other Thoughts:

I know my review probably will get a bunch of unlikes, but it's hard to put this course in to words.

This course is amazing. The view, terrain, and pretty much everything else about it are beyond words. Just go out and play it. My only problem was the tee signs were a joke. Using a spotter on quite a few holes is a necessity and saved us a lot of possible lost discs today. Bring a lot of water, sun screen, and bug spray. Be very prepared for a long round and enjoy this course when you can!!
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2 13
CKR-JK
Experience: 16.8 years 58 played 6 reviews
5.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 29, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Bomber course.
Pristine condition.
Have to say in the fairway if you want to score well. No BS shots.

Cons:

Dirt tee pads.
Not open long enough.

Other Thoughts:

I live 5 minutes from the course so play it often.

Best course overall.
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21 0
roadtripstuff
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.1 years 286 played 57 reviews
4.00 star(s)

The Toboggan Course 2+ years

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

Pros:

Great Tee Signs
New Baskets
Amazing Elevation Changes
Very Well-Manicured and Well-Maintained
Restrooms and Water Fountain On-Site
Ample Parking
Friendly and Helpful Locals
Great Shot Variety
Disc Golf Exclusive Area
Picnic Areas, Ball Golf, Beach and Other Amenities in Park
Another 27-Hole Disc Golf Course in Park
Park is Clean and Well-Maintained

Cons:

The Rough is Very Thick (Spotter Recommended)
Very Few Benches and Trash Cans Throughout the Course
Navigation Can Be Difficult
Int-Open Level Players Only Recommended
Natural Tees Are Getting Rough
First Hole Can Be Hard to Find

Other Thoughts:

The Toboggan Course is a huge, 18-hole temporary course located in Kensington Metropark near Milford, MI. The course is set up once a year, usually in late May or early June, for the US Amateur Disc Golf Championships. While the course is in place and open to the public for nearly the entire month, the rubber tee pads are only installed around tournament time when the course is open to registered players only. When the rubber tees are not installed the course has natural/grass tee pads that are just starting to show their age and could use a little rehabilitation as they are starting to show a lot of dirt and can become extremely slippery when wet.

To get to the Toboggan Course take US-96 to exit 153 (Huron River Parkway) and head north to the entrance/pay station. Once you pay the parking/entrance fee, $5.00 per car, continue on Huron River Parkway for 2.2 miles into the roundabout and make a left onto West Buno Road. Follow Buno Road for 1.5 miles (it turns into Maple Beach Drive) and make a right into the parking lot. If you follow the signs to the toboggan area you should have no problems getting there. From the parking lot you should be able to see a couple of picnic pavilions, the first tee pad is to the left/east of the pavilions near the edge of the hilltop.

The Toboggan Course is truly unlike any course I have ever played. When I stepped on the first tee I just smiled and even laughed out loud a bit. I couldn't believe the shot that I was looking at. This was one of the biggest downhill shots I have ever played. Right away I knew we were in for a hell of a round of disc golf. I had no idea.

Hole 1 is pretty open. the worst rough is just feet from the basket, off to the right. As with many holes on this course, I would highly recommend a spotter here. It's hard to spot the basket from the tee pad and if you go too far right there is no way you will be able to keep your eyes on your disc.

As excited as you were to see and throw hole 1, you will be the complete opposite when you lay your eyes on hole 2. A whopping 726 feet up the same enormous hill you just came down. Not only do you need a cannon to even pull off a 5 here, you'll also need to be in good physical condition to have the strength and stamina to keep your shots in the fairway and on target.

Hole 3 is another huge, and I mean huge, downhill bomb. Not only do you have to tame the huge air from atop the hill, the hole measures in at just over 900 feet with at least half of that coming after the hill levels out. From the tee pad you will want to avoid the rough on the right side of the fairway at all costs. It is extremely thick and if your disc goes in there is a good chance you won't be able to spot or even get to it. This is another spot where I would recommend a spotter down near the bottom of the hill just to be on the safe side.

After hole 3 the course starts to balance out a lot more. While elevation is present on nearly every hole on this course none are more dramatic than those first three holes.

While the elevation changes are the what stands out the most on this course there are a few other highlights as well. Hole 6 being one of them. A long hyzer (RHBH) shot over rolling hills with a very nice defined fairway. This hole will test anyone's game and is one of the top holes on the course.

Hole 8, another standout on this or any course, has you throwing off a huge drop-off. The basket sits well below tucked away in one of the small patches of trees you find throughout the course. The view from the tee pad is slim to non existent and a spotter is almost a necessity on this hole. The tee pad ends into some very tall weeds making only the tree tops from the valley below visible.

Hole 12 is just a downright awesome disc golf hole. It has everything a player would look for in a great and challenging shot, elevation (downhill), nice mature trees as obstacles, and a beautiful and well-defined fairway. This is, what I would consider, the best hole on the course. There may be a couple others, holes 1 and 3 specifically, that may have a little more of a "fun" factor, but hole 12 is just a challenging, well-thoughout, pure disc golf hole.

This is definitely the most challenging course I have played to date. Not only is the course difficult to throw and do well, it's physically demanding and those that do shoot well definitely deserve to be called the best in the game. I can definitely see why they have chosen to hold the US Amateur Championships here and recommend that beginners and casual players may want to work on their game before tackling this beast.

There are a few things all players will want to keep in mind before taking on this monster. First, once you start your round and get past hole 3, you don't really come back by your vehicle and the restrooms until you are finished with your round. The closest you will come is between holes 13 and 14, but it's still a hike back to the top of the hill you are on and through the woods. Your best bet is to make sure you take plenty of water, bug spray, towels and whatever you maybe need right from the get-go and save yourself from having to make that hike back up to the parking lot. Another thing to remember is that there isn't a lot of shade on this course. If it's sunny and you don't want to burn I recommend sunscreen as a typical round at this course can really range anywhere from 2-4 hours depending on the size and skill of the group, how long you spend looking for discs in the rough, and how many other players are on the course. One last thing is there aren't trash cans throughout the course so please keep this beautiful park and course clean and pack out whatever you pack in and get out and this one if you have the chance.
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25 1
tistoude
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.7 years 198 played 60 reviews
4.00 star(s)

A little bit dissapointed 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 13, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Extremely well groomed. The fairways were very well defined and were in immaculate shape. The entire course is very aesthetically pleasing. Hole number 1 is possibly the prettiest starting hole I have ever been on, especially with the special mowing they do for AM Nationals.

Very nice temporary tee's. Even though each tee was not perfectly level ect.. they were all in good shape. It is great that they install tee's for a temporary course.

Course offers plenty of elevation. I know there are people on this site that think all courses should have some elevation, well this course provides tons of elevation. I think there are only two holes that play somewhat flat (4 and 10).

Lots of shots are needed to be successful on this course. This is a very RHFH friendly course, but you will need to have every shot possible to shoot a low round. There are huge Hyzer shots, tons of flick/anhyzer's, a thumber works well and you will need to be accurate with putter from all over. A key shot you should bring with you is the Getting Out of Trouble shot since there is an excellent chance you will be in it a few times on this course.

This course really offers you a chance to air out your driver. I think this course rewards distance over accuracy on most of its holes (not all) and it pays to bring something you can really huck.

I appreciated the lack of Duece or Die holes. There are a few legitimate deuce oppotunities but over all this is a course that makes you accept that par is a good score even if those are 4's and 5's.

Toboggan has a great flow to it. It just happens to be a really long tiring flow. Each tee is easy to find from the previous pin.

Kennsington Park is awesome. Well maintaned, very large and there are tons of things to do in this park. There are nice facilities near the first tee.

Cons:

Most of the holes are extremely forgiving of bad shots unless you are deep in the shule. I saw plenty of people hyzering out into other holes fairways and having no problem with their second shot. This course would be significantly better if there were out of bounds that would define the holes that lay side to side and would reward accuracy as much as distance. I feel that every good course should be an equal combination of distance and accuracy.

Way too many blind holes. If I recall correctly there are only 3 holes whose pins are visable from the tee. The shule is crazy thick and if you are not playing with spotters you have a legitimate chance of losing a disc on every single hole. The time required for locating discs significantly increases how long the round takes to play. You should be ready to lose a disc when playing this course. I would suggest having doubles of your important discs in your bag.

Some holes on this course have incredibly low scoring variances. Hole 18 is a great example, almost every one with a 250' drive will take a 3 on it. It is extremely hard to get a 2 or a 4. Another is hole 4. It is just shy of impossible to get a drive into the circle but not far enough to create a lot of 4's. Every one hits the guardian trees on their drive, lays up the second shot and pars out.

Can too much elevation be a con? It really seems like on every hole you are throwing up or down a hill off the tee.

I realize that this is a temp course but there are no amenaties on the course. No benches, garbage cans, water or bathrooms.

Other Thoughts:

I only played this course during the 2010 AM Nationals and I was just slightly dissapointed after I played my first round. After hearing all the hype about this course and reading previous reviews I was just expecting something more. I think if I would have just played a casual round on this course I would have scored it higher because of difficulty but after 3 straight days of playing and watching others play, the faults of this course started to stand out a lot more.

I really enjoyed playing this course. I throw a pretty good RHFH so the course felt geared to me personally. Also I benefitted from having spotters on every hole as well as snacks and water spread around the course. The tournament itself was an amazing experience and all the local guys playing and helping were awesome. I just think there are some changes that could be made to the course that would improve it. OB has to be added to the course. On hole number 1 I saw a few people shank a drive almost 300' left of the hole across hole 17's fairway and since they had pretty good arms they were able to get an upshot near the basket and still take three's. I witnessed the same type of action on holes 3, 7, 9, 12, 13, 16, 17 and 18. That is way too much forgiveness of bad drives.

I really dig the fact that this course is temporary. It gives it a little bit of an exclusive feel. I have already qualified for the 2011 Am Nationals and I am already planning on giving this course another go. Maybe next year some changes might be made and I can edit my rating.

Loved the Tournament and the course was pretty good.
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1 11
wicket06
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Wow. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 5, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Outrageous drops, Lengthy holes, forces you to use a variety of shots, very hilly, absolutely incredible. I have played here a few times over the past two years and its amazing how difficult and exciting this course is. This has to be one of the best if not the best course in Michigan. People who dont have a variety of shots or those who have short drives, beware!

Cons:

Temporary
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5 6
jaydee
Experience: 22.8 years 6 played 6 reviews
5.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 2, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

An amazing course with great shot after great shot, the only course I have played in SE MI with significant elevation changes on most of the holes. To play effectively here (shoot mid-60s or better), you need a minimum 350' drive that can plop down in select landing zones. A thumber is a very nice shot to have, it's so much easier throwing one up a hill vs a backhand or sidearm. If you can accurately throw 400+' and putt a little, the 50s are very attainable. There are no breaks on this course, get ready to grind for the whole round. Even excellent players can throw crappy rounds here by merely being a little off on their drives and getting into the shule. Going into the shule generally means an additional stroke for that hole, sometimes 2. If you throw 350' and under, plan on taking at least a 4 on Holes 2, 3, & 17. If you can't plop a 350' drive down in a very select landing zone, a 4 or worse is likely waiting for you on Holes 6,7, & 15. Potential birdie holes for 350' throwers are 1, 5, 8, 10, 11, 14, and 16 not that any are easy to get because they are not.

Cons:

Temporary, wish it were in all summer. Worn dirt pads, slippery when wet.

Other Thoughts:

Don't bring a newbie to this course, go over to the Black Locust (in the same park) and play the short tees, those are tough enough for a beginner.
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4 4
runninlikebarry20
Experience: 15 years 111 played 10 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Toboggan brilliance 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 31, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Simply the greatest disc golf experience I have ever had. Monster elevation changes with one hell of a flow to the entire 18 holes. It will test a wide variety of shots for anyone on any level. I cant say enough about the experience.

Cons:

I guess the fact that is temporary. No signs to let you really know where to start. But that takes nothing away from the overall magnificence of this truly amazing course.

Other Thoughts:

I will NEVER miss an opportunity to play this beauty every year that it is set up. I just got back from Colorado playing Beaver Ranch at Conifer Park and I thought that was the best course ive ever played until today. Thankfully im a Michigander and will have time to play this several more times in the coming weeks. I would recommend this course to any discer on the planet.

KEEP ON THE FAIRWAYS AT ALL COSTS!!!!
The weeds are extremely tall and discs can easily be passed over. The fairways are amazingly wide. Hole 1 is at the end of the toboggan parking lot down a small hill to the edge of the monster hill tossing down below. You shouldnt have problems from there. ALSO bring plenty of liquids. This course is a workout in itself.
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