Springfield, MI

Begg Park

3.35(based on 20 reviews)
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6 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
3.00 star(s)

I Beg You To Give Begg A Chance! 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 27, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

I think there's a lot to like about this course. The course designer and I think alike. We both appreciate a nice downhill hole and don't mind walking up a hill to get to that juicy downhill. The designer really utilized the big hill by having you firing away from the top on holes 6, 8 and 17, so much that a double tee pad was constructed for 8 and 17. I doubt that this course ever gets so busy that this double tee pad ever becomes anything more than a minor wait and even then, you'd be checking out other player's throws here.

The course begins by the indoor farmer's market. What would traffic be like on marketing days? The course has nice sized concrete pads and older baskets, some with rusting chains, other than being kinda unattractive, they're fine. Currently, there are no signs. We were fine with the on-line map, DGCR ap to give us the distances, some basic disc golf course intuitiveness and at one point (after # 8) asking someone. Wow, maybe course signs would be easier.

The course starts you off with about 1200' of holes 1 and 2. Right about now, I was thinking old noodle armed me is about in trouble but from then on Begg returned to some semblance of normalcy. This course really gives you a little but if everything. My playing partner longed for a steep uphill hole or two while I was satisfied with 16's slight uphill. In fact, I found this hole to be a fun hole to throw a roller on. The creek comes into play on a few holes. # 3 is interesting with the basket placement near the big grey wall and the creek seemingly everywhere around it. Makes for some interesting approach shots.

The back nine is more wooded and has it's share of Ace Runs. # 9 (295') and 10 (185') are both shorter Ace Runs where you need to stay right or risk getting wet in the creek.

Cons:

No signs. I hope this is just a temporary thing.

Parking on market days must be a problem.

I think the early part of the course would be very boggy after rains.

Rusty chains a big deal for sime players, not so for me.

Other Thoughts:

Interesting. As we were finishing on # 10, a disc landed on the uphill side. Not knowing the course, we weren't sure where it had came from. It had a name but no #. We tried shouting when no-one came looking for it and just left it. When we came back close, my partner went over and picked it up. And we did ask other groups if it was their discs. So if you write your name on your disc but without ant phone #, you might have some trouble getting it back.

We found Begg DGC to be a most enjoyable round. It's a comfortable, low stress play. I might be mistaken but I think players of many levels might enjoy it here. It was a great throw for a player of my basic recreational level. Along longish, at the start, I think more beginning entry players would enjoy it and I think intermediate to advanced players would enjoy posting some impressive low scores.
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6 0
davetherocketguy
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.7 years 114 played 105 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Rusty Chains don't catch too bad actually... 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 27, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

- No idea what kind of baskets are here but they catch pretty good. I know this sounds whacko but the super duper rusty chains seem to catch a little better. They are double layered chains and with one exception all of the baskets are plumb and in good shape. #1 was just a touch off plumb but eh...not going to affect my score.
- Well constructed tee pads with nicely finished surface and seem to be an appropriate size for the course.
- Course set in a nice little multiuse park. The holes seem to make use of underutilized areas.
- While there are no tee signs ANYWHERE there are fence posts and trash bins at EVERY SINGLE TEE BOX which is a rare sight indeed. Therefore, all you huckers out there have NO excuse to leave your empty 40 oz can of Natty Ice (or whatever carbonated swill it happens to be) out anywhere on the course. EVER. Seriously.
- Really like how #9 runs parallel to the small creek with a cool little left to right dogleg. Number 10 is rather similar but with a much sharper dog leg.
- Also enjoyed the pin placement of #13. Even a good tee shot leaves the second shot a death putt with the water behind.
- #3 is supposedly the signature hole. I don't know, the island tee placement is pretty cool but it didn't seem terribly difficult.
-

Cons:

- There are several verty bland and uninteresting tee shots here like number 8 and 11.
- Not a single tee sign is up. Any first time visitors will definitely need a course map otherwise you will have no idea what is what. Especially going through the 5, 6, 7 area.
- While this course is definitely fun to play it is pretty pedestrian in challenge.
- Not a fan of the 2 in 1 tee pad that is shared by #8 and #17. That's got to be annoying if the park is ever busy.
- Also not a big fan of how much the holes play near and over the paved walking path here. Now, if the pathways are not well used then this isn't a big issue. Either way, DG'ers are going to have to be careful and pay attention to the oblivious walkers-by.

Other Thoughts:

This is a fun course to be sure and I could see myself coming here and playing a couple of rounds in a row. It appears there is a serious issue with vandalism and the signage which is a shame since looking over pictures on this web site it appears the signage used to be really nice. Its definitely not a destination course by any stretch but certainly worth stopping by if in the area.
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4 0
FB6Ryan
Experience: 9.7 years 6 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 14, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Cement pads
-Easy navigation once you learn it since the signs are no longer there
-Good hole design
-Good mix of wooded and open holes
-Shots for players of all styles and skill
-Grass is well maintained

Cons:

-Signs have all but been stolen or destroyed
-Group of local people like to set up a volleyball net in the middle of one of the fairways and park their cars on a cement pad in the middle of another fairway
-Many sidewalks come into play so you have to keep a eye out for pedestrians walking through the park
-Water has a fast moving current when the water is high so your disc gets washed away quickly! (Can't really hold that against it though as that cannot be helped)

Other Thoughts:

All and all this course is very fun to play, it holds a sweet spot in my heart since it was the first course I ever played disc golf on. Hole 1 is a heck of a way to start off a course and requires a cannon of a arm to hit par on, not exactly the way you to start off a round...warmed up or not....

Hole 3 is probably the "signature" hole of this course and the one everyone who plays this course will remember. It is set up just like the beautiful state of Michigan, with the pin sitting on it's own peninsula surrounded by water.
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2 8
My arm hurts
Experience: 3 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Could be fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 29, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice layout , I like the long throws and the water , the parks dept. does a nice job keeping it mowed and picked up.

Cons:

Some low life scum sucking dirt bag messed up and or stole almost all the signs , jerks .
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9 0
apdrvya
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 13.9 years 350 played 293 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Like a zen garden, well balanced 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 2, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Aesthetic-- this course, on the outskirts of Battle Creek and very near to the ANG base is multipurpose and is centered around a indoor farm market. the disc golf areas are relatively isolated from the other activities. there is a shallow stream running through the course.

Teepads--BIG level and in great repair. 8/17 share a teepad at the top of the hill. 8 shoots to the basket on the right across the path, 17 shoots to the left across the path. either way, cross the stream (ray) after you throw from this pad.

Baskets-- baskets are in decent repair but they are rusted in a few places. there is a practice basket near the first tee.

Varity/Challenge-- This course starts you out with a mammoth sized 600' hole followed by a 500+ footer. the front half is mostly open and the back half is mostly tight woods holes. all in all a very well balanced course.

Signs-- Nice, big, accurate distances. Present and accounted for on all holes.

Uniqueness-- I think this is a big plus here. #3 throwing onto a tiny island in the stream (that is what we are), #13 perched inches from the stream after a downhill putter throw. #8/17 sharing a teepad and on and on. Very Very Unique course.

Bridges-- Three bridges come into play here and are all in nice repair, this place wouldn't be what it is without the convenience of the bridges..

Cons:

Navigation-- Tricky at times to be sure. I will post a map to aide in navigation.

Safety-- Throws across numerous paths, roadways and near apartment buildings. Also, many fairways are relatively close together, the chances of hitting someone are relatively decent if you don't watch.

Other Thoughts:

Thoroughly enjoyed my round here. this course is a true gem. the farmers market has bathrooms if they are open, along with food.
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6 0
mhardish308
Experience: 13.9 years 17 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

The Course That Hooked Me 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

-Something For Everyone: Begg is a great course that offers a little bit of everything. Several holes feature long bombs where distance and power is key, other holes feature very carefully placed shots through trees and narrow openings, while still others are just interesting and memorable holes.

-Great Place to Start: This isn't to say that this course is easy by any means, it's actually far from it. Getting a good score at Begg can be a challenge. However, the course is laid out in a manner which is approachable for a beginner to get a taste of what Disc Golf is all about. Long holes with wide fairways which transition to holes which incorporate the river, then into tight wooded holes that are intimidating enough to warrant respect, while still being approachable.

-Unique Holes: Begg has several holes that will always stick out to me as either favorites, or holes that i dispise. Holes that can incorporate elevation changes, a dogleg, heavy brush and a river are hard to find and dispite their difficulty they always make for a good laugh. There's never a dull moment at Begg.

Cons:

-Less than Scenic: This course is located deep within the town of Springfield, so as you might expect, the background is mostly older appartment complexes and other random buildings. Although they don't necessarily interfere with the course itself, they do detract from the course considerably in my oppinion.

-Foot Traffic: Due to the fact that there is a park and somewhat of a community center located at Begg, there can be a considerable amount of people walking around on the fairways and other outlying areas. Although not always a concern, some people lack common courtisey and may take some time to move...

-Difficult Course Flow: The course is somewhat difficult to navigate. Some baskets may be misleading in their placement, making it difficult to differentiate which hole you're going for on your first time through. Although not impossible to navigate for first timers, i've been asked several times while playing: "Where's the next tee?".

Other Thoughts:

As mentioned in the title, Begg is the course where i was first introduced to the sport. It's a great course for beginners and experts alike; a course everyone can enjoy.

As far as my rating is concerned, the only reason i didn't rate this any higher is because of the foot traffic which tends to frequent Begg Park. Most of them are decent, but the majority don't respect the disc golfers or the park. The course design is excellent, and is only held back by the people who use the park.
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5 0
bygwyllay
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.9 years 93 played 77 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Begging to be a little better 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 27, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

City park course that has a lot more to offer than meets the eye.

Front 9 plays like a typical city park course. Stand-out holes are a nice bomber to start out your round and #3 has a nice peninsula shot betwixt two branches of the small river that runs through the middle of Begg.

Back 9 is where this course starts to shine: first two holes along the bank of the river force you to throw RHFH or risk lost plastic (we had a few go in but fished 'em out) then out and over to the main street with a nice tunnel shot and an open-fielder, then a wicked downhill with the pin sitting inches from the brook.

Concrete tees for all holes are a plus, and there is considerable shade for a hot summer day. Basket bottoms were angled in a funnel shape so your disc fell to the bottom and out of the way for the other players in your group. Also made for easy plucking when moving on.

Cons:

Front 9 is S O G G Y when wet. A few fairways under water. Not much variation on the first half; mostly throwing open with a few aged trunks as obstacles. Back-and forth design to the front 9 makes you feel like you've been there before.

80% of tee signs have been obliterated, which does not help on the front 9, as there are several chainstars in a single field.

Park clientele less than desirable.

Other Thoughts:

Jekyll and Hyde feel to this one, folks. They made the best out of what they had; good use of the different parts of the park. I had some fun here, and came away impressed once I hit the back nine. Challenging without being daunting. I'd give it another whirl once the rain subsides.
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2 0
Imwideaw4ke
Experience: 1 played 1 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Not the Greatest, But it will do. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 27, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Cement Tees, Well Marked, Good Variation of Holes, Easy to find, Didnt deal with any bugs, Every hole was in okay condition.

Cons:

Not Maintained the greatest, Gets flooded easily, A few holes need some redesigning, Other people are walking around in the park so you may have to yell "Fore!" alot.

Other Thoughts:

A pretty easy course, wouldnt be bad if it was in your back yard, but i wouldnt drive far to play it. Also on hole three, be careful, or be prepared to take a swim in the creek. :)
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4 1
discdude86
Experience: 31 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

nice 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 11, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Nice tee pads .
wasn't very busy when I played there.
some water holes .
hole 4 (i think )was a cool island hole
liked the short wooded technical holes
some long holes to really let it rip

Cons:

course plays mostly open and has little tree are obstacles on most of the holes .
To easy score well despite some long hole lengths .
The trash cans were over flowing and thrash was all over the place on the wooded holes .
some wooded holes were above others and a bad drive could easily hit other in a different fairway

Other Thoughts:

really enjoyed playing here .
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3 0
nabaah
Experience: 27.1 years 44 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Nice Scenery 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 2, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Cement Tees, Nice views, open fairways, easy to find discs, Nice scenery with large trees and nice clean streams running along the fairways, some tight wooded holes too a little mix of everything, lots of holes to really open it up on.

Cons:

The signs need to be replaced most are unreadable, hard to navigate without the signs pretty easy to figure out still,

Other Thoughts:

The water is very shallow easy to get your disc out of if you go in. #3 is cool with the basket on a little island and nice backstop so you can go after it. Great course worth the play I will definitely be back.
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1 2
Red Wings Fan
Experience: 18.9 years 15 played 10 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Springfield 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 9, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Clean and upkeep, enough parking, cement tee boxes, not to busy, good elevation changes, hard to lose a disc

Cons:

kind of light on the variety, not well marked, lots of water so you might end up wet

Other Thoughts:

this course tends to be windy but you get use to it.
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9 0
DirtyMittenDG
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.9 years 112 played 55 reviews
3.00 star(s)

BP 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

--This is a fun city park with most disc golf amenities. Concrete tees along with nice signs is always a huge plus. I respect the upkeep at this park very much. For how many people play here and use the park, it isn't even close to being "dirty".

--The layout here is pretty nice as well. It definitely has a handful of your typical city park type holes (wide open, slightly hilly, and somewhat repetitive.), but it does also have some unique holes. Hole #3 is what you could call a signature hole, with the basket on a peninsula surrounded by two little creeks. Hole #13 is another cool hole that sticks out in my mind.

Cons:

--Even with nice tee signs, there are still surprisingly a couple holes where you may be unsure which basket to throw to. Theres a few times where multiple baskets are in sight from tee pads, and the descriptions on the signs look like they could be either one.

--The con I listed above also leads to another con. Some of those baskets and tees that are close together can make it possible to hit people with stray discs on busier days.

--Like I said before, a few of the holes are a little repetitive, and don't have too much challenge besides distance itself.

Other Thoughts:

--Overall this was a pretty fun course. Not exactly what I expected from a city park, I really like how the wooded area was utilized to add variety. If the course wasn't so cluttered in the field area, and they had a few navigation signs, I could give this course a better rating.

--I have played here a couple times and it was busy both times. But one thing that was very smartly made in the design of this course was a big hole #1 (630 ft.). The first hole on the course being so long definitely helps in spreading the traffic out. After the first couple holes there was no more waiting because of the hole spacing.
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7 0
Rupert M
Experience: 26 years 92 played 22 reviews
3.00 star(s)

A river runs through it 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 14, 2009 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

A nice variety of long and open holes mixed with challenging short, tight and technical holes makes this park great for seasoned players as well as rookies. No real rough to lose discs in, the river is barely three feet deep in most places. Nice cement tees, garbage cans at most holes. Uses elevation nicely. Some uphill shots and quite few downhill ace runs.

Cons:

Its in a very busy city/apartment complex park. Every time we have been here volleyball games were being played on one of the fairways. Yell 'fore' and rip away. Be aware of people on the bike path. It is a no-alcohol allowed park that shares its parking with a Fraternal Order of Police hall. Hard to follow at times. Hole four has you throwing over the road, uphill and at the apartments and almost always towards people watching volleyball. Hole six has you throwing downhill, right at the volleyball players. The tee to hole eight is at the top of the hill. You must then cross the bridge after hole eight, then back over it again to get to eighteen.

Other Thoughts:

Without all of the locals running around the park, this place would rate higher. Not many other players though. Clean and very well maintained. It goes perfect after a round at Coldbrook. Gas station with a Subway and beer right across main road.
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5 2
Mackb6
Experience: 21 years 30 played 9 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Springfield - Begg Park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 15, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Good for the "big aremed" golfers. A lot of long open holes with a few wooded to mix it up a bit. A good course for beginners as there are not a lot of places to lose your disc.

Cons:

If you are into throwing in the trees, try heading over to Kimball Pines just down the road, much more challenging.
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7 1
DiscgoInferno
Experience: 14.6 years 12 played 2 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 20, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Nice variety of shots. Nice wide open ripp'n shots and tight technical wooded shot where you can play it safe, or take the risk and reap great rewards or suffer! It is a very nice course for a new player as most holes, other than hole 1 are very much parable. Closely located is a gas station with a Subway inside, and a part store. Both within a 5 minute walk, or 1 minute drive.

Cons:

Rabbit poo galore, so watch your step. Also the play ground can be very in a very dangerous place if you try a flippy disc. Discs have been know to hit equipment (raising my own hand, but thankfully no kids hit), so be careful. One of the pro's for new players can be a con for more advanced players since with just a few months of playing time most people can par all but a few holes. Could be a bit more challenging. Also, a lot of the baskets chains are rusting.

Other Thoughts:

Highly recommended course for new players or for those who really want to play casual. It sometimes can be a confidence booster if needed before a big tourney. Watch out for hole 18, my nemesis hole. It has killed some of my finer rounds as my last round would have been a -2, but turned into a -1.
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8 1
landon77
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24.5 years 78 played 43 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Clean-Fun-Affordable 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Dec 14, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Dog Friendly, Free, Good Variety of course play with water holes, elevation changes, and wooded holes. Cement tee pads for the holes. Overall good layout of course with max utilization of land. Hole 3 is a nice challenge and the signature hole on the course. It is located about 340 feet on an island surrounded by semi rapid water from a drainage creek.

Cons:

Surrounded by residential apt buildings and playground. Some holes are a walk from each other. Also be careful when you tee off on some of the holes. They are right next to walking paths and can easily stray next to unsuspecting people. Watch out for Rabbit droppings and gopher tunnels.

Other Thoughts:

One of the 'funner' courses in the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek area, and one of my personal favorites. Lot's of variety on this course. You have wide open fields to really rip it, closed wooded holes that test your accuracy, holes with a little bit of openness and accuracy needed, and water holes to beware. Golfers seem to be very friendly in the area, I have taken my dog every time with no problems. Course is close to Ft. Custer (a must play) and Kimball Pines (a harder challenge). This course is not the most challenging around. An intermediate golfer should score close to par (all par 3) and score some really nice birdies.
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3 4
discNDav
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 37.8 years 436 played 91 reviews
4.00 star(s)

very good clean course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 14, 2008 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

scenic course... nice design....clean park...great elevation changes...cut grass...cement tees...water shots...restrooms...tee signs

Cons:

the short tight holes are all left to right...

Other Thoughts:

don't let the length of hole 1 intimidate you...
I played this course twice in 2006 and worked all week here during the 2008 Worlds, it truely is one of the best in the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek area.

If your lucky, the local FOP(?) lodge located in the same parking lot sells
beer, pop and munchies very cheap
when you are there.


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3 3
Mark R
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.8 years 115 played 89 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 29, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Has matured a bit over the years into a solid course that is enjoyable after repeated rounds. Some careful clearing and course tweaking has moved this course up a notch.

Holes fall into one of two categories; wide open grassy urban park holes and moderately to tightly wooded shorter holes. Nice cement tees, but vandals apparently took out the signs. Hole 1 is long (670 feet) and wide open, perfect for crush drives. Wide-open hilltop tees (6, 8 and 17) are fun to drive off of. Overall, a well designed urban-style course that effectively utilizes limited area. Tends to be one of the first courses in the area for snow melt in spring, and also good late in the season. Free admission, easy to locate from nearby roads.

Cons:

Some apartment buildings and a road encroach the front nine holes, which limits the scenery a bit. There are a few others in park not playing disc golf, as well as golfers, typical for a city course.

Other Thoughts:

Nice job with the course design, and extra points for the cement tee pads.
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5 0
SuperNovice58
Experience: 17 years 16 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Begg Park, Springfield 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 22, 2008 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

I was astonished at how maintained this course was. The baskets are top of line. The course is lined with a variety of challenging holes. Hole one was is a long, open 636 feet. Followed by a 430's hole two. The have changed hole three, it is no longer on the island. Hole six is now on the island. All of the tee pads are the same just some basket alteration. I really enjoyed how much this course ignored basic ob rules. On the better part of half the holes you are required to throw over paths and on two of the holes you play over a short road leading to no where. Overall, I enjoyed the course and it is a sure favorite of mine.

Cons:

I didn't find many flaws with this course. However during the height of the day padestrians were an issue.

Other Thoughts:

Well maintained and well developed.
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4 2
TimSyl
Experience: 17.1 years 172 played 35 reviews
3.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 7, 2008 Played the course:never

Pros:

Always in great shape, entire park is mowed regularly. Many open holes with asphalt obs, and six short technical holes. Signature island hole (#3) is 335' with basket on an peninsula that's about 200 square feet.

Cons:

9, 10, 15, and 18 are too similar...all left to slight right in the 190-240' range.

Other Thoughts:

Fun course to play...pros and high level ams should be able to shoot mid 40s on this course.
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