Grand Rapids, MI

Earl W. Brewer Park - White

3.325(based on 25 reviews)
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Earl W. Brewer Park - White reviews

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1 1
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.1 years 831 played 777 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Mixing it up 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 18, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

The white loop plays like a mix of the blue and red courses. The first few holes play in the open prairie area with mowed fairways and minor elevation changes. One hole offers a fun little uphill shot with rollaway potential around the green, another has a longer shot over the top of the hill to a blind pin. The remainder of the holes play in a flat area with tall mature trees. These holes offer some distance variety and multiple lines on each shot. The signage is decent, with hole layout and distance, as well as showing which course the hole belongs to (helpful where the white and blue courses share space). The concrete tees are decent, and the baskets are old but serviceable.

Cons:

There isn't a ton of challenge on this course, it's fairly short other than a couple holes, and there isn't any punishment for errant shots. A few holes play pretty close to one another, a potential safety risk especially with lots of inexperienced players on these courses. The lower area of the course can get pretty muddy and swampy, and seems to stay that way a while after any rain.

Other Thoughts:

Beginners will find this course fairly approachable, with reasonable lengths and no punishment for missed lines. More experienced players won't find much challenge or enough variety to test different line shaping skills. I liked the 4 courses sharing one parking lot, with options on what loops to play in which order.
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1 2
myhouseinthewoods
Experience: 13.8 years 14 played 10 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Watch your disc 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 3, 2011 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

In this course, holes are good distances apart from each other
There is a place in the back where you can rest and take a look at a ton of bottlecaps that have been put into one of the post
A Bench which you can rest at lays around the middle of this course

Cons:

Watch you disc, cause in alot of areas in this course you can lose your disc, in the beggining middle and end

Other Thoughts:

One of the baskets may have been moved to a different location to prevent peoples disc getting lost.
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1 0
jarnson
Experience: 13.9 years 27 played 27 reviews
4.00 star(s)

White Knight Amongest Strangers? 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 20, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Is a lot like Brewers Blue course, but has advantages over Blue, which include:
> A good variety between trees and field play
> Distance is a larger factor; Blue is shorter distances, mid-range
> Good obsticles involving trees and your path requires a more controlled throw
> Dry, the brush isn't too high, etc.
- Tees are cement, with signs that state the hole, map, distance and sporting a trash can
- Baskets are great condition, a few rusted
- Hole four is pretty cool, involves throwing to a basket on kind of a hill with a drop to the side [MEMORABLE THROW]
- Picnic tables at most of the first few holes

Cons:

- Not to much that will make this course bad, only a few things:
>Brush is high right now, and if muddy, these two are probably the only factors, along with smokers and drinkers, that prevents this course from being a 5-disc rated course.

Other Thoughts:

- Again, Brewer allows smoking and drinking, and is usually crowded, except Gold and this one, White.
- Bathrooms near the course

*NOTE: like Gold, this course requires control and a good aim for the first few holes, then once your in the trees, hyzer and anhyzer shots make up the rest.
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1 3
Gyro
Experience: 13.1 years 17 played 17 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Better than Blue 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 15, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

A little more variety than the other courses. Some distance and plenty of trees.

Tee Pads - good
Signs - good
Baskets - poor

Cons:

Lots of dirt from all the traffic it receives. Watch out for people on blue throwing at you.

Other Thoughts:

If your in GR it is worth the stop, but the park is way to busy and the quality is not all that high to make it a destination.
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0 0
E-man
Experience: 14.1 years 22 played 6 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Brewer-White 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 1, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

For a 9-holer, this course has a decent mix of shots. It starts out with a couple long, open, but blind over the hill shots. Next, an uphill but short shot forces you to either side of a Y-shaped tree. Then its line shaping time as the rest are basically medium distance, wooded holes with some slight elevation changes. A couple of roll-away greens also keep it interesting. The course is dedicated to disc golf, which is a huge pro to me.

-Signs/pads: Basic signs on every hole with distances and what course/hole # you are playing to avoid confusion. Concrete tees are plenty long and in good shape.

-Seating areas/trash cans: There are a few well placed picnic tables/railroad ties to rest at. Most, if not all, tees have a small trash bucket by them and this course is surprisingly clean (not perfectly) for its proximity to GR and the traffic it sees.

Hole 1 has two pin placements, long and short. I think the long adds around 200ft to the hole which is maybe 350ft in the short (guestimations). It seems like its in the long position most of the summer.

Two practice baskets on site that are set up kind of like a horseshoe pit.

Cons:

-Busy, busy, busy: Brewer in general seems to be where everyone in Southern GR is playing. Evenings and weekends are always crowded, and some appear to use the course more for social gathering than disc golf. The white and blue courses are generally the busiest.

-Danger!: Some holes are very close to others in the way they play back and forth through the woods. With the frequent large crowds, there is an ever present danger of discs flying in from all angles. The yells of "fore!" are in no short supply here.

-Baskets: Some baskets are not in very good shape, either being rusty or having seemingly extra large holes between chains.

-Dirt/roots: Half the fairways have sparse grass and some annoying roots to deal with.

The rough, which is just really tall grass, can be aggravating when looking for discs on any type of day.

Other Thoughts:

Brewer White is a fun, balanced course. Not big on the difficulty factor, but it is enjoyable to play. Avoiding peak times can make it more enjoyable. Anyone in the GR area should check out Brewer Park, as it has four different 9-hole courses on site. Another section of the park has soccer fields, a playground, and spaces for a picnic/gathering. Spinski's disc golf pro shop is just a few miles away near the intersection of 76th & Division.
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1 0
Terry C
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 27.1 years 54 played 27 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Starts in open, goes into woods for finish. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 17, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Hole 1 and 2 have you throwing over big hills to blind pins, each have good distance required to park it, about 400' each.
-Hole 3 is a fun little hyser around a split tree, deuces are expected on this hole but you can bogey if not careful.
-Hole 4 is the first taking you out of the open and into the woods. The rest of the holes are average, they each will force you to pick a line and go for it, everything is deucable and aces are common on lots of these holes in the woods.
-tee pads are cement, in good shape
-Most teepads have signs, ratty and old but signs none the less.

Cons:

-A tight course in the woods, watch out for errant drives from other holes!!
-Pretty simple course, not many challenges.
-The woods is all dirt, after rain its muddy and pretty nasty, water builds up on the outer edges of the course, shank a drive and you might be walking in 2 feet of mud water to retrieve it.
-lots of stumps and ruts in the woods section, can be a walking hazard and annoying if your disc bounces off from one of them while skipping or rolling it.

Other Thoughts:

Another average 9 hole course at Brewer park. Nothing special, if you come here play all 36 hols to get the whole experience.
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0 0
rshrevo
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 45 played 34 reviews
3.00 star(s)

white 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 25, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

nice variety of technical wooded shots with the long drive shots. keeps you trying to figure what shot would work best for your next shot. good use of elevation changes. some holes you can shoot really nice for a chance at birdie.

Cons:

need to keep an eye out for errant discs since a couple of holes come close to holes on the Blue course.

Other Thoughts:

overall i like to play this course a lot. not really too busy since most are playing blue anyway. right now the basket for hole 1 has been moved to just over the hill not behind the trees on the other side of the hill.
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2 0
tallpaul
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 35.9 years 934 played 137 reviews
2.50 star(s)

my favorite here 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 27, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

For our trip,I copied and pasted from a review here (landon77) that listed this as "the funnest of the courses here." I have to agree; though Gold is close.
Same nice concrete tees as all courses here.
Decent, aging signage. Decent flow.
Mixture: "rip it holes" #s1, 2, and 9; with shorter, wooded holes in the middle.
Actually, #9 is also wooded/technical; but is 404 feet; and is probably the signature hole of all 36 at Brewer.
#1 is not only long (558 ft.); but also plays uphill off the tee; making it play even longer. Finishes blind, down hill. (This basket moves to a short position at pertinent times of the year).
Two or three "signature type holes", you will remember if just visiting; or be excited to play; if a regular.
#4 is a nice risk/reward hole for only being 204 ft. Take the skinny line; or heiser (for rhbh)? Tough to park heiser, due to angles.
Wooded holes in general; offer a variety of lines and shots that are pretty decent; though short.
I'm adding this paragraph for my pros for all four of these: This is a 36 hole complex. I would give a 3 rating, for the complex as a whole. If you're there; you're going to more than likely play all four. All of the courses balance each other; and allow a number of styles of play.
White gives you more blending of two different styles than the other three offer.
Elevation used as well as property allows.

Cons:

As with all courses here; quality bucket purists, may be upset. White, primarily features more aging, homemade baskets. Some baskets from major manufactures are finding their way here; slowly.
Terrain is just average.
We did not have issues; but seems that when on blue and white, you need to be aware of possible errant throws and may need to wait on those playing other holes.

Other Thoughts:

We played this one as the third of the 4 niners. By now, longer holes are beginning to let you know Earl Brewer can mean business. Right away, on hole #1 (in long position), there's a decent chance you start over for the nine. Our local guide; announced that he was over par for the entire complex, during the last tourney he played in; and yet finished top three in Intermediate? In other words, longer style shots, makes scoring here tougher than one would like to think.
This is also a course where wind could make a huge difference; due to it's openness and length (especially if you were playing tall grass o.b. as format).
Gold level players will not want to stop here at all. For blue level; it's a question of, if in the area, there are 36 holes! Young players; learning the game; or recreational players; out for a fun day; should be thrilled with this complex. Those on the way to addiction, will like White, in particular.
In regards to the homemade baskets; I must say I, personally, applaud those who "got er done" in the old days and made courses happen for what funds were available. The entire Earl Brewer complex gets props from me for it's EARLINESS and make it happen attitude. The fact that they continually attempt to improve is also huge plus.
Having to give a rating on these individually is tough. Considering 3 is the highest I've given a niner; White doesn't live up to the better nines; thus the 2.5.
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2 0
apdrvya
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 14 years 350 played 299 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 30, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Variety--Good variety from long and open to more heavily wooded to upshots and downhills. Usage of a lot of different shots.

Not as busy--definitly not as busy as some of the other courses at Brewer. Blue is constantly busy, but the other three are almost deserted most days.

good flow--hard to get lost until the end where there is almost an overlap between the white and blue course.

9-holes--I personally like the fact that Brewers courses are only 9 holes. Every course has a different personality and it keeps you interested

Cons:

I personally hate hole 1. Blind shot, 500+ feet over a hill, down to the bottom of a hill and on the backside of a clump of trees. bleh, there is no good way to even deuce this hole.

Old baskets, these baskets are at least ten to fifteen years old some are in a bit of rough shape.

Last few holes can be a bit wet.

And of course theres the constant complaints of white trash and just trash (as in litter) at Brewer.

Other Thoughts:

probably the one course with two personalities at Brewer. It has more variety than any other course there. It's kind of nice to not have the "rough" of the open holes much on this one. can be a bear to find a disc.
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4 0
bsto318
Experience: 13.9 years 1 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 10, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Course had some tough holes, like #1, a throwing up the hill, and #2. I like how the course starts out kinda open with the first three holes, then you go into the woods. Nice course overall. Also liked how there were baskets and cement tee pads. That's always a nice touch.

Cons:

Didn't like how long the grass was in both the rough and the fairways on the field holes, #'s 1-3. I understand rough is supposed to be tough, but c'mon, this was too long. Other than that and watching where you stepped when you got into the woods, not too many cons.

Other Thoughts:

I'm a beginner at frolf, and I loved this course. I like a challenge, I know it's only gonna make me better, so I figure that if I'm gonna play might as well play a tougher course. To me this was tougher course because the distance on the first couple holes, and then into the woods. It got easier into the woods. I would play this again, but I'm gonna try to get to it when there isn't so many people. I've tried to play it twice, but have only been able to once, because the place was just too busy.
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5 0
sgamerp
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 16.1 years 102 played 73 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 15, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

A good amount of shots. Has some long ones like the first two. It also has a lot of trees you have to work around which is what i enjoy. When I went it seemed to be the second less popular(gold being the least) and wasn't really any waiting on holes. Every hole is labeled and shows you how long they are.

Cons:

The baskets here are kind of crappy sometimes. you can hit a nice chains shot and still fly a ways away. There are some roots all over. The rough is just kind of weird if you throw into it. really tall and a lot of it. Although it says how long each hole is it makes it seem like some are a little off(not sure if it's the white or what one but seemed that some didn't seem as long as printed)

Other Thoughts:

It's a lot better of a place to play when it's slow. when i went there was a guy selling discs anywhere form 2 to 10 bucks used and 15 to 17 for brand new discs. I got a very unused pro destroyer for 4 bucks. You can drink here. They have a trash/ ash bucket on every hole. A lot of picnic tables too.
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3 0
nrohtlaw
Experience: 30.3 years 37 played 9 reviews
3.50 star(s)

The white is right 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 27, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course offers more variety than the other nines.Starts out with a 500+ footer which can bring your game over par right out of the gate.The 1st pin gets moved just over the hill during the winter months.4 and on goes into more tighter fairways.3,4,7,and 8 are definate ace runs.

Cons:

Except 1,2,and 3, you are playing on dirt mostly from the high volume of people playing there.Watch your step for roots.Some of the baskets are old and don't catch like they used to.Can get pretty mucky in the low areas during the wet months.

Other Thoughts:

Closest layout to the "old back nine" if you have not played here for 10 years.I don't want to biased to someone elses review,but the trees on any nine here are never an issue to anyone.The trees(which are big with not very many low lying branches) are few and far between on any of the nines.I feel that trees are a strong part of any course anywhere.Therefore, we have shot variety.(hyzers,anhyzers,doglegs,mando's,tomahawks,thumbers,rollers,tunnel shots)Disc golf courses are made in their natural surroundings and in Michigan the natural surroundings include trees
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2 0
chad groen
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24.1 years 42 played 41 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Starts Off Strong, Then Gets Iffy 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Oct 10, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This course has a decent variety of fun and challenging holes for a 9-hole course. Some are long and mostly open, some are short and narrow, some have big changes in elevation, and some have blind tee shots. The fairway is well-kept for the holes outside the woods. Those two trees in the middle of the third fairway are obstacles you'll love to hate, and the same can probably be said for the trees on the fourth hole. For the most part, this is a decent little course that can test your driving skills, both in distance and accuracy.

Cons:

The last 6 holes of this 9-hole course are clustered together in the same wooded area as the blue course. Not only are these white holes real close to each other, but some are also close to the holes on the blue course. This can cause problems on a busy day, because you'll find yourself standing at one of the tee pads getting ready tee off, but will have to wait because there'll be players on other holes throwing discs toward you. Most of these holes share the same kinds of issues as the blue course. For most players, more luck than skill is required to get passed all the trees that stand between the tee pads and the baskets. After awhile, you'll likely find yourself wanting to go back out into the open to continue playing this course, which unfortunately doesn't happen. Like the blue course, it might frustrate you enough to feel like whipping out a chainsaw and taking out some of those trees that offer almost no strategic route for your disc to follow in order to reach the basket. Mosquitoes can sometimes be a problem in the wooded holes in the summer, and the ground on those holes is mostly dirt with a lot of big roots sticking out. There can also also be some murky spots if it has rained recently.

Other Thoughts:

There is some variety to this short course, but it isn't mixed up well. The first few holes are pretty much wide open, but then the rest are clustered together in the woods with too many trees in the way. I get the feeling most players will only enjoy playing the open holes. After that it gets kind of frustrating because some of the wooded holes are set up rather poorly.
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2 0
mmyersdisc
Experience: 15.7 years 14 played 14 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Blue, Red, White OH MY!! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 13, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course offers more of a challenge then the blue course I also played. With the first hole being overhill at about 430ft it makes it alot of fun! It offers SOME distance (2 holes being around 400ft) and still offers the birdie opportunities for the people that can't throw 400ft! Tee-signs are well descripted like the other courses, and the baskets are better then the red and blue! Concrete tee-pads along with great baskets with challenging tunnel shots and a few open bombs makes this course a good stop!

Cons:

Not to many...hole 1 has a tee pad straight behind the basket (looking down the fairway) that is red's teepad, not white! Confused me for a minute then I looked around and found the other sign...Could use some next hole signage but other then that a good course!

Other Thoughts:

I only took 4 discs with me due to only having about an hour to play on my way home from picking something up for work, I was able to play 2 of the courses without any troubles and shot about 5 down on each course! Brewer park was very friendly and very fun for a first timer!!! I had no problems with navigation and was very fun! Definetly stop by if your in the area!! 4 9-hole courses makes for a fun time!
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7 0
Doktor John
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 35.2 years 423 played 64 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Great mixture of holes 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 1, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice variation of holes 1/3 open 2/3 wooded
Fairways on open holes very well groomed and generous
Good use of elevation changes
Very good use of a limited area
Nice technical layout on last 6 holes
Good opportunity to work on various throws/shots
Very intuitive flow
A good place to introduce people to the sport
Nice signage
Good tees

Cons:

For what this course is...there aren't many cons...of course you have to adjust your expectations, but this course was designed on a limited piece of land and they got the most out of it

Other Thoughts:

It's hard to say if this was my favorite of the 4 or if the Blue one is because of it being all wooded (and I love wooded courses)

I think for most people (who are open to playing wooded/technical holes) this one is the best suited of the 4 at the park because there is enough variety and length to the holes to make it more than a pitch and putt course

The great thing about the Brewer Complex of 4 courses, there is something for everyone...this set of 4 courses is well worth driving out to...and then you decide which course(s) work best for you :)

I played these courses on a Sunday morning about 9ish and I had no "flow/pacing" issues and ran into a couple of great groups of locals who gave me some good insight on other courses in the area
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2 0
Wraith3
Experience: 16.9 years 12 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Guy is the best 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 14, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great variety and challenge. If you have never been here, just ask a group and most likely they would be glad to show you to ropes of each hole. Most of the people that disc here are regulars of the area.

This is the place you want to go after conquering blue. The change of Elevation is a great advantage is course has over the other courses in the area.

Cons:

Bring some bug spray. can be wet a couple days after a rain.

Other Thoughts:

awesome park as a whole. very family friendly. Cement tees, trash cans, and Bag holders at almost every tee.
Make sure to say hi to Guy. He is the person that sweeps the tees fixes the bag holders and take care of the trash. You can talk to Guy for hours, he's just plain awesome
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2 0
Azar002
Experience: 18.8 years 13 played 13 reviews
3.50 star(s)

VARIETY 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 12, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great variety of long and medium holes, flat and elevated, open and wooded. Great course for partners, as holes 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 9 usually need a "saving drive."

Cons:

#9 hole stays flooded until summer. #1 basket gets moved back into the flooded basin in April, before it dries up back there. Course can get bottle necked and never release, unlike the other 3 courses.

Other Thoughts:

Most challenging course at Brewer behind the old gold course (after 2008 update, gold course seems a little easier than white) A sub-par score is reason to celebrate!
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1 1
JojoXGooch
Experience: 16.8 years 4 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Brewer Whites 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 1, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Very open, sunlight is nice when playing in late fall or early winter. Cement tees, baskets, friendly community, almost always dry.

Cons:

Last hole going towards the parking lot can flood at the base when there is a lot of rain.

Other Thoughts:

Why did they split the four sets of 9 into four different courses on here? I could have sworn that they were listed together.
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4 0
phishbrained
Experience: 18.1 years 23 played 13 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Fun with Variation 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 16, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

First three holes are nice and open long drives.
Last six holes venture into the woods and can get technical at times.
Longer wooded holes than blue course, so it really challenges you on accuracy with distance.
Trash cans at all the tees.
Elevation changes too.

Cons:

Muddy for some holes.
Tee pads get very slick from all of the dry dirt on them so watch out, I almost injured myself on one of them, but luckily managed to stay on my feet.
Lots of trash, with all those trash cans I wouldn't expect to see so much trash here, but I guess people are lazy.

Other Thoughts:

Love this course, probably my favorite out of all the Brewer Park courses because of the variation. (some short and wooded, some long and open, some elevation changes) Make sure you're ready to get muddy though.
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1 0
xrockfistx
Experience: 17.1 years 19 played 15 reviews
3.50 star(s)

A Group Favorite 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 1, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Gives you different shots coming in and out of the woods. A fair shot for beginners and pros alike. Alot of birdie attempts out there so, don't miss them! And, an interesting 3rd hole!

Cons:

Sometimes can be muddy if there's a really heavy rain because, of a creek that comes back whenever it feels like it. It's a very small one and there's a little bridge to get over it. The second busiest one out there because, it's the second easiest one (blue being the first).

Other Thoughts:

As a group, we like playing this one.
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