Augusta, MI

Fort Custer Rec. Area DGC

2.935(based on 15 reviews)
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Fort Custer Rec. Area DGC reviews

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3 1
apdrvya
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 13.9 years 350 played 293 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Disappointing to say the very least... 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 9, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Aesthetic-- Beautiful lakeside park. area is NOT disc golf exclusive as it shares land with walking trails, a mountain bike trail and plays over roads.

Baskets-- Discatchers, this is a good thing.

Teesigns-- at least the ones I could find, had teesigns with numbers, no distances, no maps, nothing more than numbers.

Cons:

Routing/Nav-- Biggest con here is the navigational woes. I played 1-6 without issue. I tried really hard to find 7 (looked for 45+ minutes) walked down the mountain bike trail and found the "emergency" road that was noted on the map but found no tees and no baskets. I saw a "next tee" sign in the middle of the field but no baskets were anywhere. 11-18 were easy again. the maps provided were essentially useless. no numbers, the lines were highly inaccurate and just confused me more than helped me.

Risk v reward-- the holes I could play really no risk v reward, the most I can remember is the approach on #2 where you are pretty close to the lake when putting.

Uncontrollables-- bugs were bad when I played but there's not a lot that can be done with the surrounding area.

Teepads--Rubber/natural, the rubber pads are in decent repair but I still prefer cement or natural pads.

Variety-- the first six holes are very short and from the map 7-10 were shorties too. 11-18 were a bit longer but the challenge factor was pretty low here.

Other Thoughts:

I was very disappointed. with the good reviews this course has I expected far better.
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3 0
SlothsLair
Experience: 11.8 years 34 played 2 reviews
1.50 star(s)

WTH? 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 21, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice variety of shots
Baskets are in great shape

Cons:

Layout, no markers,
WHERE IS THE NEXT HOLE?
Very difficult navigation.

Other Thoughts:

It could be a great course, but as it sits it is just frustrating. If you come out to play Ft Custer make sure to bring a local along.
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7 0
TGCRequiem
Experience: 14.1 years 6 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Not too shabby 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

-A wide variety of shots. Up/down, short/long, left to right/right to left/straight. Some touch shots in the woods and some wide open shots with nothing in the way.
-Several holes have quite a punishment for those that are overly aggressive which makes for a nice risk/reward.

Cons:

-Dirt tee pads for a lot of the holes.
-Maps and stickers are wrong from how the course is laid out. (They just updated it apparently...see other thoughts.)

Other Thoughts:

My buddies and I played this today for the first time. We've been wanting to for a while just haven't gotten around to it. For those who haven't played it yet this year (since I hear it changes often) here is the basic layout. Hole 1-6 just follow the natural "flow" of the layout, you may question the #3 tee, but for us the number was nailed to a tree. What was hole 7 is now 11, so instead of teeing of here go across the road behind the tee pad and you will tee off down the path. Follow the natural layout through 9, but after 9 do not go up the hill as that just takes you to a bike trail. The tee pad for 10 is off the right hand side of the number 9 fairway about halfway down. After finishing 10 go back across the road and tee off for 11. The rest of the course flows very well and you should be good. Mostly just follow the arrows when you see them planted in the ground and you should be fine.
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4 1
Anheuser
Experience: 13.7 years 27 played 9 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Give It Time 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Gorgeous scenery. Probably the most beautiful I've seen in the general area. Rivals and probably beats Meyer Broadway in Three Rivers in that respect. Includes a variety of different types of holes, from open rolling hills with narrow fairways and deep grass to picturesque through-the-woods holes and high altitude lake views.

Cons:

This course is a mess. Almost impossible to navigate at times and WAY too spread out. The map they give you is hand drawn and pretty much worthless. One of the holes was missing a basket and assumed stolen. The pro tees are ridiculous to throw from in most cases unless you're a professional.

Other Thoughts:

Normally I don't review a course unless I've played it 5+ times. However... I think people need fair warning about what they're getting into with this one. If you're looking for the outdoor hiking beautific disc golf experience and don't particularly care about keeping score or finding the next hole within 10 minutes this one is a slam-dunk. However, if you dislike aimlessly trudging up hill after hill and back down again trying to find out where you are and where you're trying to go only to score your next bogey this may not be the course for you. YET. Given time though, this could become one of the best and most challenging courses in the area with some better maps, hole placements, and staffing. If you live in the area, and you feel like an adventure go check it out. Otherwise, know what you're getting into ahead of time. The entire course is extremely wild and overgrown in some portions. Plan on losing and/or finding discs. I would suggest long pants to keep away poison ivy/poison oak. I won't be playing this course again until the spring to re-evaluate it.
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1 2
brian lee
Experience: 4 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

great course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 27, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Great long shots and close narrow wooded holes not to mention water hazards... a lot of variety and fun... on a state park but a season pass is now 10 bucks as of October 2010 ....

Cons:

U can lose discs on this course if ur not careful... watch yourself on the back 18 holes that is when hunting season isn't going on.... tees are dirt

Other Thoughts:

A great place to stay and camp to if u have the time
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4 0
landon77
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24.5 years 78 played 43 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Could be an epic course, intermediate to advanced difficulty, beginners be wary! 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

-
-Unique holes, most holes are very different and look different.
-Not busy
-Longe and challenging
-Grueling and long walks, great workout
-Good baskets
-Good variety, slight elevation changes, wooded holes, open holes, and a few water holes.
-When the park mows the course fairway looks like a real golf fairway, pretty cool to play and admire.
-Big throwers delight, the course will reward you for nice long bombs as long as your accurate, you can get punished (sometimes severely for stray shots, or grip lock shots)
-Dog friendly (a perfect park to take a dog to get them tired!) Not many people around so they can have some fun with you.

Cons:

-
-Rubber tee pads with sand on them, can play dangerous, get some cement pads more benches and a tool called a broom PLEASE!
-Rough terrain, very dense and wooded
-Not much in terms of shade during peak day, you will get hot on a hot day (Early morning or evening on hot days)
-A very Big workout, pro or con?
-Signs are terrible and not helpful, the teepads are have somewhat decent markers with distance but not really where the shot goes.
-Some holes look overgrown and it might look like there might not be a basket.
-Confusing layout, long walks to find next tee pads, time consuming and frustrating.
-Pay to play
-Snakes by the water holes
-The are scorecards and maps that are not completly correct and confusing, one has an 18 hole course? Which I think is old, and there a 24 hole card that I think is also inaccurate when it comes to distances.
-Walking trails right next to course
-Bike path right next to some holes
-Park gate person usually is clueless about the course except that there is one.

Other Thoughts:

-
-Well they finally finished this course, or at least put in the 24 holes. From what I hear it is permanent, I will keep my fingers crossed on that because I would like to play it in October and November which I think are going to be the best times to play this course. However, from the last few years they have closed some of the course for hunting (huh!?!)
I can play this course in about 1 hr 45 minutes by myself (on a good day) and it took over 4 hours with a foursome.
-Keep in mind this course is RAW, you'll be throwing to a place where few have played and the course plays like it. The rough is rough and conservative play will be benefical to a good score.
-Overall the course is very challenging and fun. The scenery is nice and over time and with some TLC this course can be rated much higher. They need to start with cement tee pads, and much better signs. This course has the potential to be a destination course and if the Ft. Custer Parks department was smart they would put a lot more money and time into it, and they could highlight it because it can be special course. I see this course only getting better in the long run but as of right now a 3.5 is as high as I can honestly rate it until many improvements are made. Don't pass this course up if your looking for something unique and challenging because this could someday be top notch caliber, maybe with more people playing and suggesting to the park it might happen! Enjoy!
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3 0
JaySeaAre
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Beautiful setting. Mix of challenges 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 21, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Really a beautiful setting around Eagle Lake. Not trashy with player litter and worn out facilities. Long open holes and wooded challenges. Holes are not contrived, but well plotted. I liked the rubber tee stations.

Cons:

Couldn't get course map because guard gate was not staffed when I came in on a Monday evening in late September. A few of the holes were confusingly marked. After hole #9 you can either turn left into the woods to play holes 10 - 18 or turn right to play holes 10b, 11b and 12b which returns you back to the parking lot. I don't think the course was designed to play all 21 holes consecutively.

Other Thoughts:

The Discraft baskets stop the discs well. Ft. Custer should put a copy of the course map on their web site.
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4 0
Mark R
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.8 years 115 played 89 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 12, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

A terrific area for disc golf, with lots of space and few golfers. Holes 1, 6, 7 and 8 on the main course (Holes 1-12) are mowed fairways through meadows that compare favorably with similar holes on the back nine at Robert Morris. Holes 9 and 10 have challenging elevation changes as well as Eagle Lake views. Decent Chainstar baskets. Rubber tee pads on main course Holes 1 through 9 and back course are OK.

Cons:

Holes at the east end of the course (aside from main course Holes 1 through 12) are a navigation nightmare, making Branstrom Park and Fitzgerald Park seem easy to navigate by comparison. If you play Holes 1 through 12 on the main course, you have to back track about 1000 feet past 9 to get to the back holes, which completely disrupts the flow of the course. The orange signs are nice, but two holes marked '10' on the back course holes aren't. There is also a long walk between Holes 7 and 8 on the main course. There are no signs on the main road indicating a course in the area (I found Holes 5 and 12 on the main course before finding Hole 1 near a single homemade sign). Holes are incorrectly identified by photos on this site (Hole 3 = Hole 8, Hole 7 = Hole 9). The road in the park leading to the course is really long, and you have to have a state park sticker to get in. I went last year and found baskets missing, and they refused to refund my admission, so there is still some uncertainty as to when this course is open or closed. Apparently the interests of hunters come before disc golfers.

Other Thoughts:

This course was a lot better about three years ago with the original 18 hole layout through where holes 6 through 9 on the main course and some of the back holes are now. There is no reason nearby Begg Park, which has much less land and features to work with, should be rated higher. Restore the original layout (Holes 2, 3 and 4 on the new main course wouldn't be missed), and this would be a four-star course comparable to Oshtemo, Coldbrook and Robert Morris. As is, it seems like a work in progress.
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3 3
ken.lemmer
Experience: 19 years 10 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

course update 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 11, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course has been completed.It seems very well cared for. You have some real short chalenging holes, and some clear super long feilds to air it out.

Cons:

You need a state park pass. Since the course has been reconfigured som tees and baskets are mis numbered but there are plenty of direction signs.

Other Thoughts:

For first timers the first hole is in the beach parking lot. Also when you finished the 9th hole you have the option to go left for 9 more holes or right tou will only play 3 more holes
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2 5
Innovadude
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 25.8 years 235 played 180 reviews
3.00 star(s)

good for what it has so far 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 17, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

- More than enough long holes to air it out, still requiring an accurate placement.
- Several hills, one steeeeep downhill short shot in the woods by the edge of the lake.
- Well mowed, seems cared for.
- Good variety, fairly balanced shots.

Cons:

- Only 12 holes right now, seems to be in process of changing.
- Rubber/Dirt tees.
- Fairly tough to navigate, though the tees are marked.
- Ivy on 3-4 holes in fairway and by basket.

Other Thoughts:

State Park pass gets you in here and at Waterloo, nearby.
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4 0
Switters213
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.8 years 77 played 21 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Lots of Potential 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 15, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good mix of wooded and open fairways. Hand Painted maps on some holes are a nice touch. Hopefully maps for all holes coming soon. Creatively mowed fairways on the open holes. Good "on the green" style landing areas for many holes.

Cons:

Course still under construction. Tee pads were a little short for my drive run up. Some holes play close enough to the beach that a shanked drive may hit swimmers or sunbathers. Scorecard map lacks detail, sometimes makes it difficult to locate next tee.

Other Thoughts:

This is going to be a nice course when they get it finished. I hope they concentrate on finishing the first 18 before going on to the proposed 27 holes. Be aware that many baskets have been moved, so the number on the basket isn't always the number of the hole you are playing. (as of June '09)
WATER HAZARDS! This course plays along the shore of Eagle Lake for much of its distance, and while water hazards aren't super close to the fairway, depending on the lakeside winds and tree kicks you could put one in the drink easily enough.
Also, SNAKES! I lost a Discraft Elite Z XS on Hole 2 while i was out there and in the course of looking for it I almost stepped on a 3 foot long water snake near the lake shore.
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5 1
Mackb6
Experience: 21 years 30 played 9 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Fort Custer 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 20, 2008 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This was a great course last year, before some jerkoffs stole the 10 of the 18 baskets. I have yet to throow it in 2009 and do not really plan on it. It is now only 9 holes and it is right by the guard shack, for those that didn't get to play it last year, you really missed out.

Cons:

Changes made this year wrecked the course, do not waste your time. Several of my fellow disc golfers have thrown there this year only to be disappointed.
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3 0
Pete Nice
Experience: 25.8 years 47 played 7 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Course Layout Update!! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 26, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

The 18 hole Beach Course is now open October thru May. Much easier, shorter, easier to follow than the summer layout.
A good mix of shots with water in play on 5 holes. Some wooded shots and some wide open holes. Not terribly hard.

Cons:

Slippery pads and mosquitos by the lake.
Still needs some trimming near basket #12 and #18. 6 tees are new as of Septmeber 25th so they are not level yet.

Other Thoughts:

The Beach Course will be open October thru May. 24 Top Secret Course will re-open in June and be playable thru the end of September. Although we had to reroute this course many times over the past 2 years I'm 99% certain we have a layout that will be inline with DNR zoning and (hopefully) will not be altered for several years.
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2 0
Ken Long
Experience: 4 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Beach Course Update 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 17, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Fort Custer is under reconstruction. Two courses will be available sometime next year of '09. The Beach course (playable now w/12 holes) and the Championship course to be completed as time goes by with some very challenging breath taking holes we think you will like. Thank you.

Cons:

Fort Custer utilizes rubber fly pads and natural (tee pads) instead of cement. These can become slippery due to sand or dirt. Be careful.
Since Fort Custer is a state recreation area...the usable land is in a multi-use mode. Meaning sharing with other outdoor groups. So...please use appropriate courtesies. Also a $5.00 daily fee is collected upon entering.
Thank you.

Other Thoughts:

For the most part The Beach Course is completed with 12 baskets. The Beach Course is permanent and playable year round. The Beach course still needs signage and some mowing on a few holes. The tee pads will be natural with toeboards.
The back nine baskets will be pulled during hunting season during the following dates:
October 1st. - December 31st. & April 1st. - May 31st.
The "championship design" has been layed out, but no cutting has taken place. The old Worlds '08 course is still playable after the hunting seasons .Please bare with us.
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4 0
FoleyT
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 18.8 years 86 played 84 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Scenic & Challenging 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 6, 2008 Played the course:once

Pros:

Best variety I've run across in a while. Lots of different length holes, and mixed up throughout the round. Lefty, righty and straight shots required, some elevation, some water comes into play on the front 9. Trees and rough come into play on the back 9. Some spectacular scenery, especially around the lake on the front 9, and you get a great view from the 18th basket of Eagle Lake.

Cons:

The rubber tee pads aren't so nice. Very slippery when they get a little bit of sand on them (and there's a lot of sand here). Some of the rough can be a bit unforgiving. You might want to use a spotter on a few of the holes on the back 9. Signage for finding the first hole could be a bit better, but once you get going on the course, it flows pretty well, and there are little signs throughout pointing you in the right direction.

Other Thoughts:

Met with the designers when I played this course, and they were in the process of putting in some 'rec tees'. With a little more work, this could be a destination course.
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