Michigan City, IN

Creek Ridge County Park

25(based on 12 reviews)
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Creek Ridge County Park reviews

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12 0
EspressoPatronum
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 18.7 years 232 played 223 reviews
2.00 star(s)

A Fairly Unique Walk Through the Woods

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 17, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

- mostly wooded course with well defined fairways
- tee signs with full color maps
- Innova DISCatchers are serviceable despite rusted chains
- some great technical challenge on most holes
- area entirely devoted to disc golf within multi-use park
- navigation is generally straightforward and follows defined paths/fairways
- almost like a disc golf round on a nature trail through the woods
- fairly good mix of hole lengths
- will challenge most players to bring their technical precision

Cons:

- tee signs are a bit small
- natural tees are just ok
- hole 3 is under 150 feet straight with no obstacles
- course is entirely flat
- highway noise takes away from otherwise picturesque course
- no major amenities
- a little on the short side

Other Thoughts:

Creek Ridge County Park is a cool course that plays through the woods. Despite being in a multi-use park, this is a nice chunk of it devoted to disc golf. While a quick, fairly short round, you'll need to bring your precision A-game. Several holes require turning shots and if you are predominantly RHBH like me and the majority of players, this course was not designed to go easy on you. I had to break out my forehand shot on several holes, as I didn't have much room to work anhyzer RHBH shots. The course is fairly skewed towards LHBH/RHFH throwers with dogleg right shots all over.

The general consensus from most reviewers is this course was a 2 to a 2.5, with some feeling it is slightly below that. To me, this felt like a strong 2, but not quite a 2.5. Other reviewers mention punishing rough and bugs; I did not experience much of this in November but can definitely understand where the rough could be pretty thick in the summer.

While almost entirely flat, the technical challenge makes up for it. This is NW Indiana so the scenery isn't exactly breathtaking, but it's a pretty picturesque round and I found the course fun and challenging without being overly frustrating. There isn't much here in the way of wide open distance shots; precision is the name of the game. Hole 3 was the only one that really felt out of place to me; it felt forced. Under 150 ft in a straight line is kiddie course stuff.

In November there were definitely some leaves on the ground; I don't remember this being a major issue for locating discs but if you leave the fairway it could definitely be a factor. Navigation was pretty straightforward as you could follow defined fairways and paths through the trees.

This is quite a quick round; if you are playing solo you night be able to complete it in 20 minutes. It is very close to the interstate and if you enjoy a quick niner with some decent technical play, it is worth the quick detour.
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15 0
wellsbranch250
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.2 years 652 played 631 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Make A Juke Move Off I94 To Play This Course.

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 22, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

(1.850 Rating) A wooded flat course with short shapeshifting lines.
- NATURAL BEAUTY - The main reason I scored this course a low 2.0 instead of a mid 1.5 was due to my enjoyment of strolling through the woods. Nearly the entire course is heavily wooded. A few of the holes had a very tranquil feel to it. I felt relaxed and at peace having just spent several hours on the interstate. I ended up scoring this aspect just over 60 percentile on my ledger and I think it's the course's strongest aspect.
- CHALLENGING - Don't judge the difficulty of this course by its length. It's snakey lines with thick biting overgrowth in spots. I hit a tree on 8 of the 9 holes. Precision and finesse will be key to score low here. Having a big arm will likely be detrimental.
- SHOT SHAPING - Players that like moving lines, me, are going to like this course more than others. I think many players will get an adrenaline rush when they cleanly make one of the harder lines.
- SIGNAGE AND NAVIGATION - After finding tee (1), I had no issues figuring the rest of the course out. The tee signage is descriptive and nice looking. Next tees are generally close by and the tee signs have next tee direction indicated on them. Perhaps someone new will make a mistake, but I just don't see how someone gets lost here.
- QUICK PLAY - My winter time round went really quick even with my family tagging along. Less than 30 minutes in fact. Perhaps the timeplay lengthens out a bit during the summer when the overgrowth peaks.

Cons:

Finding discs that can make the required moves on these fairway lines.
- AMENITIES AND EXTRAS - The equipment here is very far from top tier. Although the baskets are DISCatchers, they are the older 24 chain versions, and they are all rusting excessively. The tees meanwhile appeared to be either dirt or woodchips over dirt. No extra tees or basket placements. I didn't observe a course map, practice basket or benches either. There are however restrooms, shelters and picnic tables in the park.
- HOLE VARIETY - I like wooded technical play, but I thought the presented lines here were too similar in feel. The course seemed to heavily favor RHFH and LHBH players. I personally regret only grabbing 2 understable discs out of the bag before heading over to tee (1). There is very little length and no chances to grip-it and rip-it for many players. Also, incredibly flat and no water features.
- OVERGROWTH - From reading the prior reviews, it appears there is some seasonal enjoyability to this course. Apparently, the wooded fairway edges blossom out quite a bit and it can make for some not so fun retrieval efforts. During late Fall, when I played, the edges were not diabolical. Perhaps I would have scored this one slightly lower had I seen it during the summer.
- IFFY LINES - I didn't like holes (6) and (9). To right handed players, these similar holes require a hard turn-over forehand throw that then fades back hard as well. I don't recall any discs that can do this. I'd reckon that they are both rarely deuced. Perhaps I'm not good enough.

Other Thoughts:

I literally made a last second "juke" move off the highway to play this course. I was planning on pit-stopping at Hawthorn a bit further down on I94, but a couple miles out I changed my mind when I read that this was Trusted reviewer Jukeshoe's home course while sitting in the navigator's seat. I enjoyed it for what it was as I prefer technical courses anyways. I'm glad I got to experience it during the winter when the rough was far more manageable. Anyways, to me it felt like a weak 2.0 course. It's got some strong points like beauty and technical prowess, but it lacks in all the other key areas. I'd say worth a play for those traveling along I94 between late fall to mid spring whom are also looking for a wooded course. Not destination worthy, but seriously, how many niners are? It reminded me of courses like Robertsdale Links in Alabama, Towering Pines in Mississippi and Mountain View in South Carolina.
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8 0
ElementZ
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.9 years 212 played 197 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Playable in winter 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 23, 2019 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

+ In the winter months, this is an enjoyable and quick nine holes of disc golf. As a bagger, this one was easy to grab because it's just off the 94 and close to Sophia's House of Pancakes.

+ The area is basically just for disc golf. There is a dog park nearby and a walking trail that cuts through the course. Watch out for park goers and their canine.

+ I have a very hard time believing that this course is popular, so you should have the course to yourself.

Cons:

- I would imagine that in the summer months, this course is horrendous due to the bugs and also the thick rough. Consequentially, I see this course being a 2.0 in the winter and probably a 1.5 (at best) in the midst of the summer.

- Baskets are very rusty.

- Natural (i.e. no) tees are not my favorite as they can get muddy quickly.

- Course is quite old and doesn't seem to get as much love as others in the area.

Other Thoughts:

A great course to bag. Has a lot of potential if it's expanded and fairways are widened, but as it stands it's a 2.0 course in my eyes.

Definitely read previous reviews for more information. I found them very helpful, even if they are a bit old!
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7 1
Gizmotronx
Experience: 12 years 23 played 14 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Woods N Bugs 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 13, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Signs are good. There is a variety of lines. That's about it.

Cons:

All of the holes are cut through heavy underbrush. The lines are good, but they are all tight, punishing holes except for hole 1. Each fairway is about 10' wide. You can't even walk through most of the rough to retrieve a lost disc.

Tees are dirt (aka mud)

The chains are rusted.

There is no break on the course. After you disappear after 1, you don't come out of mosquito county until you are done.

Other Thoughts:

I suspect this course would be much better in the winter, but a course shouldn't depend on that.

If you need to practice your accuracy, this course will punish you hard for taking any risk. So you shouldn't play it if you don't WANT to loose a disc.

Don't play this course as/with a beginner.
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7 0
ajbova
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 18 years 112 played 94 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Good course. Could be improved easily 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 14, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Baskets: 9 innova discatchers. They are slightly rusted but I did not have any issues with spit outs.

Variety: All holes are flat, however, there are hyzers, anhyzers, dog legs, open, and wooded holes. A few of the baskets are blind shot and a few of them have potential for an ace. Fairways are typically wide enough to not have any problems but the rough is thick enough to make or break your day. Holes range from ~170-400 feet.

Signs: signs list hole number, par, map of hole, and location of next tee. Hole one sign has additional information about disc golf itself and where to rent or borrow discs.

Course was very beautiful during the fall. Plenty to do at this Clark including playgrounds, dog park, walking paths, etc.

Not a beginner course. Definitely an intermediate course. Challenging 9 hole course.

For the the most part, it was easy to navigate once you find hole 1. Blind shots require a little backtracking to find the basket.

Course is a good compliment to course at Purdue North Central.

Cons:

Lots of poison ivy on holes 5-9. Bring sanitizer.

Dirt tees: I usually don't have an issue with dirt tees but there were no markings such as a wooden 2x4 in ground labeling the front of tee area. Also, since it is a 9 hole course, dual tees are essential. Plenty of space to add second tees on each hole.

Chains: very rusted. Course was installed in 2009 but chains look like they were made in the 90s.

Noise: although a scenic course, you can hear the highway from every hole.

No signs once in the parking area pointing you to tee for hole 1. However, there is a sign pointing you to the parking lot for disc golf. If you walk a diagonal line from the corner of parking lot, you will find sign for hole 1.

No trash cans and only one bench once you enter disc golf section of park.

Other Thoughts:

I really enjoyed this course but it could use a few improvements such as better tees, dual tees, benches, and arrows pointing you towards the next tee (from previous basket). It would boost the rating of this course from a 2.5 to a 3 or even a 3.5 (if all of the above was fixed). This course has room to expand to 18 holes (not counting dual tees) which is always a plus.

I will definitely come back to this course. My girlfriend and I enjoyed it. I would recommend it to beginners in the area (they will get frustrated with the rough) as well as any intermediate players in the area. Pro players would enjoy this course if they are looking to improve.
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7 0
Conundrum
Experience: 12.8 years 6 played 1 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Once & Out 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Let's preface this by saying I am a noob reviewing for newbies.

Nice, "simple" 9-hole with well-maintained fairways with good signage. Baskets are in good condition. Holes flow well. You can't make a wrong turn. Rest room by parking lot. It's challenging to shoot well here (see "Cons").

Cons:

You've got to be really good at tracing your line to play here. Otherwise you will need a machete and rescue dogs to recover an errant shot. The fairways are narrow and the rough is rough. My son and I actually found ourselves playing a more reserved game so we wouldn't need to go off-road.

Natural tees with some trips if you don't watch out. Course is flat as a grade school clarinet (really, really flat).

Did I mention the mosquitos? Make sure you have either a kevlar suit or a truckload of bug spray. By late afternoon, they were actually interfering with my approach, but they don't taste that bad.

Other Thoughts:

In short, if its all you've got, its better than nothing, but there are some awesome courses within an hour's drive.
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10 0
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.1 years 831 played 767 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Very flat 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 26, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course plays through a wooded area of a park. Other than the first hole, the course is in it's own section of the park so there don't seem to be conflicts with playgrounds and other park uses. Most holes have thick rough that will definitely cost you strokes if you miss your line. There is nice length variety, with a couple longer holes, some that are reachable but tricky, and an easy ace run.

The signage is good here, with hole layout and distance on nice Houck signs. The baskets are in fine shape and catch well. There wasn't any trash or vandalism, the park seemed nicely kept. The layout flows well, with no navigation issues.

Cons:

The course gets a bit repetitive. Every hole is flat with thick rough, and a lot of them require an anhyzer off the tee for rhbh players (two call for an anhyzer flex). I like punishment for errant drives, but the rough here is a little nasty. There are some thorns, and lots of areas that are so thick you can't be creative to have a chance at recovering, you just have to pitch out to the fairway.

The tees are natural, and are a little rutted. Many have roots and don't provide very smooth footing. It seems like people use the paths through the course to walk their dogs, that could be a little bit of a safety issue with some blind shots. The course doesn't have a clear identity, some of the holes are appropriate for a great beginner course, while a few holes are really tough and would challenge really skilled throwers. I prefer to see courses that are aimed at one skill level rather than taking the shotgun style approach and not being a great course for any one level of player.

Other Thoughts:

Beginners will find a few holes they can take a shot at, but might be frustrated by the longer holes and the really punishing rough, especially in parts of the year where the tall grasses are grown up and all the trees and brush have leaves. More experienced players will enjoy some nice challenging shots, but will also find some holes that are just straightforward ace runs that lack challenge and variety. I had fun playing here, don't avoid it if you're in the area.
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8 0
notapro
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.7 years 568 played 281 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Intermediate 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 30, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Course is set in and around a dense forest area, with plenty of thick brush and trees. There is a dog park on site, but it doesn't seem like anything would interfere with the disc golf.
- Lots of shot variety here, with an emphasis on being able to manipulate a RHBH anny or RHFH shot in many different ways. Very few places where a typical RHBH hyzer makes sense, at least off the teepads. Some of the holes have extremely tight lines to hit, or have pretty significant obstacles in the way. Accuracy is needed above all else, and the thick rough prevents any good recovery shot.
- The winding fairways, and numerous blind baskets, lead to a lot of risk-reward tee shots. Most of the holes are short enough to reach from the tee, but you are definitely risking a horrible second shot if it is off course in the slightest. Some specific examples include a long, gentle s-curve on #7, and a big hyzer/OH/FH to get over a large patch of forest on #9.
- Good variety in hole length, with three short holes at or under 225', as well as three over 300'. And, the longer holes are not just distance practice, they have tough fairways to boot. No wide-open bombers here.
- Excellent signage, good baskets, and workable tee pads. Navigation is a breeze, at least in the wintertime.

Cons:

- Course is limited by the available terrain; there is no elevation, no water, and not much else other than the same nasty tree-filled rough. But, the course makes good use of it and tries to provide a few different looks.
- Some repetition with a lot of right curving holes, and constantly tight fairways. So, a lot of them feel pretty similar with a tough RHBH anny with bad rough on both sides.

Other Thoughts:

- I can see how some might call this a pitch n' putt course, but I would consider it more of a pitch n' pitch n' putt course. There are multiple holes that legitimately warrant a driver (for a birdie chance anyway), and many others that would take a couple of safe 'approach' shots to get to the basket. I think this course is better suited to an intermediate, or even advanced level player; a true beginner would have a tough time staying out of trouble. Overall, a good 9-holer to learn some tough lines or course management, but the fun factor is lacking with similar holes and brutal punishment.
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8 0
gordonbombay
Experience: 14.9 years 57 played 7 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Feb 16, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

New course. New signs. New Baskets
It may be a short 9 hole course but it is challenging.
Holes 1-4 favor left to right shots. Some being tighter than others
Holes 5 and 7 are the longest holes on the course that have tight fairways and more turnovers than Pepperidge farms.
Hole 6 is one of the shorter 3's on the course but has the most narrow fairway and nestled basket.
Hole 8 is straight as an arrow and wide open. No real challenge here except the constant yap or howl from the adjacent dog park.

Cons:

The entire course is flat. So flat in fact, it could probably get certified for the Americans With Disabilities Act.
If you have a big arm (which I dont) there is not really any hole that will let you air it out.

Other Thoughts:

Being my "home course" I have noticed the more I play it, the more character it actually has. Winter play opens up a ton of shots that leaves/summer play just dont allow.
Overhand shots are your friend on this course especially on the tight holes.
Either I am not allergic to poison ivy or it is not existant on this course. What is there is chiggers and they are ruthless in the late summer/early fall so wear long socks.
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15 0
Jukeshoe
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.6 years 315 played 266 reviews
1.00 star(s)

My "Home" Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Dec 23, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Nice new baskets and accurate signs. Trash cans near holes 3 and 8. Located in a family friendly park with dog park and playground. Restrooms near 1st/9th holes.
-Very tight fairways demand accuracy vs. raw power. Leave your drivers at home for this one.
-Great flow. Impossible to get lost.
-Beautiful. Flowers, honeysuckle bushes, wildlife, etc. add to the flavor of this course.
-Makes an outstanding winter course. Gets tons of lake effect snow off of Lake Michigan.
-Very decent risk/reward. There are a lot of risky lines that will either punish you severely or reward you immensely. The thick rough also adds to the risk, although in a decidedly less fun manner.
-Perfect for winter rounds.

Cons:

-Ridiculously thick rough with some poison ivy and thornbushes. Ticks and mosquitoes are rampant in the summer. Bring bug spray.
-Difficult in the summer months: the trees will knock errant shots down while the incredibly thick shule makes losing discs easy, even with a spotter.
-Natural tee pads make driving somewhat difficult.
-Really flat with no elevation changes.

Other Thoughts:

-This course is not your typical 9-holer, despite the shorter hole length. Expect a challenge during the summer months. Mostly pitch and putt, but will definitely test your accuracy.
-Never crowded. Mostly sees play from a few dedicated locals only.
-Be prepared to encounter other park goers who have no idea what disc golf is or why they shouldn't be walking the wrong way down the fairway on a blind dogleg.
-Recent changes have improved this course. Trees and bushes have been trimmed to open up some of the lines a bit more. The area around basket #1 has been cleared, creating a larger "green" area. #3's tee has been moved to avoid hazardous errant throws from #2's fairway. #4's tee has been moved, also to improve safety. #7's basket was moved to a shorter position to improve safety on the #8 tee. #8's fairway is now mowed a little wider, providing a much more reasonable landing zone for beginners/casual players. Overall, the changes are very good and improve this fun little course. Rubber teepads are supposedly on the way, which would further improve this course.
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9 0
davetherocketguy
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.7 years 114 played 105 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Leave the drivers in the car 2+ years

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

Pros:

- Shiny new Innova baskets.
- Awesome tee signs
- Sits in a very nice and well kept up park
- On site playground, shelters, dog run, etc.
- Holes are very challenging
- Course design is excellent as holes do tend to flow from one to the next and don't particularly seem to favor righty's or lefty's.

Cons:

- Fairways are way too narrow. This is a very tight course with the exception of two holes. Spotters are essential or you will loose a disc. If you don't have a spotter don't bother bringing a driver.
- Poison ivy is rampant. Everywhere I stepped off the fairway I saw it.
- The shule is amazingly thick. Similar to most places around here like Oshtemo Township or the woods of Meyer-Broadway.
- No trash cans on any of the holes.
- No benches. Not that they really are needed at this point seeing how it is only 9.
- Dirt tee pads
- The #8 tee is way too close to the #7 basket.

Other Thoughts:

This course has potential. If the fairways were twice as wide as they are now and some of the shule were cleared out beyond that and concrete pads added this would be a fantastic course. Add another 9 and you've got something great. However, with the list of cons here I cannot rate this any higher than a 2.
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7 2
lantzsax
Experience: 14.9 years 30 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Not Bad 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Fairways are very easily defined, easy to follow the course. Lots of Ace opportunities.

Cons:

lots of brush and tall grass/weeds. If you don't stay on the 10 foot wide fairways be prepared to hunt for the disc.

Other Thoughts:

There is defiantly enough room to make this an 18 hole course. it would be good to go with two people, one as a spotter to find the discs in the brush. I thinks it a great start to a great course.
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