North Star, MI

The Vines DGC

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3.55(based on 17 reviews)
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1 3
mklahre
Experience: 18.7 years 7 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Excellent maintenance, peaceful feel 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 17, 2019 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

I have not played on such a well manicured course -- the fairways are mowed in a way that resembles a conventional golf course. There are a few places that one might lose a disc, but in general the risk is low. Overall I find the course encourages Zen and an idyllic feeling.

Cons:

Very flat. Some technical holes, best for beginners but a few holes that will experienced players. Not always accurate layout pictured at tees.

Other Thoughts:

Considering that this is a county park with open access, I feel the rating in general should be high.
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2 10
lannyjonny
Experience: 10 played 1 reviews
5.00 star(s)

best course in central MI 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 11, 2019 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Offers a variety of shots that will challenge both fore hand and backhand rips. With the baskets finishing on both the left or right side, it allows you to let go with long anny lines or massive turnovers..as well as parking a 350-450ft hyzer drives for birdies or parsBenches @ each teeTrashcansSignsCrete pads
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10 0
apdrvya
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 13.9 years 350 played 293 reviews
3.50 star(s)

this course is fun! 2+ years

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

Pros:

Aesthetic--plays through a DG exclusive portion of this expansive park. many many ammenities are here the only real chance of intermingling are on the last hole during the summer.

Teepads-- nice, adequate length and in good repair. covered with leaves but not really an issue

Teesigns-- nice, have a little picture of the hole layout on them with distance. I think a couple of the pictures are a bit inaccurate but that's ok, most baskets are visible from the tee.

Challenge-- this course will challenge every shot in your bag. from long bombers to short techinical shots, left fades and turnovers. even a water shot.

Originality-- this course is sweet. #3 and #4 are amazing with their wind swept trees. Even though they are short they are visually stunning. The signature hole, #18, is pretty sweet. there is an extra (old) teepad here that gives you a whole new view of this hole...

Benches-- there is a bench at EVERY hole. This is a huge plus on busier days when you are waiting for the pad. they are also far enough back, except #16 or 17, where it is mid-fairway on a huge turnover...

Cons:

Rediculousness--#12 is a bit silly. very very narrow and >400' long... the next couple holes aren't much better... the huge turnover shot on 16 or 17 is a little nuts.

repetition-- there is not a lot of variety in the middle here. A lot of the holes feel the same after a while.

Other Thoughts:

a nice way to finish my day... nice course overall.
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2 1
jayne
Experience: 17.8 years 174 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Escape the crowds in Lansing 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 22, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Course is well manicured and cared for. Hole layouts require for a wide variety of shots, which makes it fun. Only about a 40 minute drive from Lansing, which makes it a nice escape from the crowds at Grand Woods. Both times I have been at the Vines there has been absolutely no one else on the course.

Cons:

Holes are either really short or really long, and there isn't much in between distance wise.

Other Thoughts:

Nice work Keith! I'll be making my way up to this course whenever I can find the time, as it is a course that will help me improve my game due to the wide variety of shots required.
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3 0
Puckstopper
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.8 years 36 played 36 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Michigan's Hidden Gem 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 30, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Variety of shots needed for success.

Beautifully maintained.

Reasonably well marked holes

Michigan permits alcohol in their parks (Ohio doesn't) so being able to crack a few brews with friends is nice

Cons:

Hole 12 is virtually impossible. However, I'm not sure I'd want it changed much, as it's a good hole to separate the men from the boys when playing competitively, and with 6 holes left afterwards there is enough time to recover if you catch a bad break.

Plan on losing a disc if you find the rough on the later holes. Both times I played this course we had large groups, and in two rounds lost 5 discs and found only one.

The rough! I know I said it already, but that stuff is brutal!

Other Thoughts:

Update: Just flipped through the pics, and noticed that they must be from when the course was built. I'll get better shots next spring when I play the course, as these don't do it justice!

This course reignited my passion for disc golf. It is challenging without being frustrating, pretty without the scenery becoming a distraction, and has enough variety in the holes to actually require you to think about your shots. Combine all of this with a well maintained layout and a minimum of other people, and you've got a fantastic place to play. The tees are a hybrid between the pro and am tees at other courses I play, and while I'm sure this makes this course tough on beginners and a little less than challenging for advanced players, it makes it a fair challenge for the majority of us who dwell in between those two extremes. I probably wouldn't drive more than an hour to play this course, but then I've never found a course I WOULD BE willing to drive that far for, so take that for what it's worth.
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6 0
harr0140
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 15.2 years 1508 played 475 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Tough Call 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 22, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

1) Extremely good use of distance variation to keep the course from being boring and it also alters up the disc and shot selection.
2) There are a handful of useful directionals to help guide you are the course. That is always helpful for a first timer or the travelling disc golfer.
3) Sign Posts with Hole #, Distance, Par, and a simple map. The maps are small and virtually impossible to vandalize. It was basically a vinyl overlay on a metal sign. If it was written on I would assume it would be wiped off, but the sign was only as big as the angle cut on the 4x4 so there is virtually no way to get after the sign.
4) Very nice variety of hole type here ranging from the prairie type hole, to a prairie with spotty trees, to a few tight wooded holes, and an over the water shot to a beach. This was very unexpected for being in the middle of nowhere.
5) This is a beautiful expansive park with all sorts of activities. There was plenty to do and the disc golf was almost completely removed from the other activities, although I would assume you will see people walking the course because of it being a nice walk in the park down mowed paths.
6) There is a challenge at every corner. If it isn't tight and wooded, it is that key tree to avoid, or the thick rough, or the tall prairie grass, or to end it all water. A little bit of everything on this course and it keeps the challenge level high.
7) Nice Chainstar baskets in great shape and ready for play.
8) Garbage cans on every hole. This ought to keep the course nice and clean!
9) Benches at every hole are a wonderful touch. It was hot the day we played so we sat down a couple times. It sure is nice to be able to sit and relax if you want to.
10) Mailbox with scorecards (although it was empty when I was there) at the first tee right by the $1 donation tube.

Cons:

1) I found poison ivy in a few spots. I hope they do some work to try and eradicate this bad weed.
2) I found a spot of barbed wire and it was on the edge of the fairway. It sure would be good to make sure all of these rusty dangers were gone before the course is opened.
3) The tight wooded holes are fun, but they rely a bit on luck to get a good chance at birdie. They are executable shots, but the gaps are so small on some of them that an excellent shot could easily turn into a stupid bogey because of a kick and an obstacle.
4) This course is fun and challenging but it is also not the most scenic. It is a lot of undesirable trees, the prairies are full of weeds, there are a lot of unmaintained areas in between holes and such. I like disc golf courses that provide a nice aesthetic appeal as well as a great disc golf experience.
5) The distance in combination with the luck factor and some unmaintained areas keeps this course from being beginner friendly. You would think being in the middle of nowhere they might have better luck attracting beginners than better disc golfers, but I guess you take what the land gives you. I heard this course is being considered as part of the Disc Golf Girls Gone Wild tourney if the second course at Sleepy Hollow is not completed. I would be interested to hear the tournament scores out here!

6) Virtually no elevation change on this course. I love to see little undulations and slight rolling hills because they alter your shots. Here you don't go up or down more than a couple feet per hole.

7) Slight repetitiveness on the middle section of the course. The prairies don't change much and the scenery is about the same.

Other Thoughts:

We stopped here to check the course out because my wife is considering coming over for the Disc Golf Girls Gone Wild tournament next year. She spoke to the TD and also designer of this course to get that information. I had a good time, but it was frustrating at other times. The shots were fun and challenging, but the rough, unmaintained areas, and the slight reliance on luck took away from the experience a bit. I think the potential of this course over time could be tremendous.
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6 0
Hfactor
Experience: 17.8 years 38 played 11 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Underated and overlooked 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 18, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is actually quite fantastic. It is well maintained, easy to navigate, has a great shot selection. For being on flat ground to add difficulty there is a low ceiling on many of the holes or skinny opening fairways. This course requires good shot selection, power, and accuracy to do well. I almost lost a disc but after a 10 minutes I found it stuck in the tree I had seen it go in(derp). Holes 11 12 and 13 were my favorite. With the land how it is the designer really made a interesting and dynamic course that has a lot to offer. The park is great too, well kept and great facilities.

Cons:

Some blind shots (just walk the hole a hundred feet and you can see the pins), not a big deal. No elevation but the low ceilings make up for that.

There is some thick rough, but almost every course I have played has some thick rough and prickers. Just play better and you won't have to deal with the rough :p.

Beginners might not have fun on this course because of this and there are no am pads. But this course has a lot to teach.

Other Thoughts:

I think we have Pete Little to thank for a lot of this. I'm not sure who designed it but he deserves a big thank you as well!

Hole 18 actually has an alternate tee pad if you don't want to throw over 150 feet of water.

This course has leagues on Mondays @ 6pm which is ran by Keith Aten. $6 to enter and $1 for ace race. In my opinion this course is far better than Sleepy Hollow. I wish I could rate it a 4.25 but I cant and a 4.0 is too low so I'm rating it a 4.5.
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3 0
Balrog
Experience: 14.8 years 28 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

nice course, go play it! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 27, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Very well maintained course, it is always mowed and clean.
Trash cans and benches at every hole, also new signs with distances.
Hole 18 is the signature hole now. You cross over a bridge, then throw from a tee that is about 10' above the water. You have to drive at least 100' to clear the pond, however if you fade to the left you can shorten that distance.
This course doesn't get much use so its never busy, not sure why, maybe its the location.

Cons:

Some of the holes in the middle 6,7,10,11 get pretty redundant as they just go back and forth across a field.
A couple of the fairways have some really tight lines.

Other Thoughts:

Overall its a good course to play. Another water hole or two would definately add some more interest. Get out there and play this course, its worth a drive to check it out! Its about 45 mins from Lansing. The park is free to enter, the DG course has a donation box for maintenance.
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2 0
starskeeter
Experience: 12.9 years 6 played 4 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Lot's of fun. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 8, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This is my course to go to when I have played Sleepy Hollow too much.
- Set in a very nice county park that has a lot to offer for the entire family (during the summer).
- A good variety of short shots (particularly in the front 9) with some real long shots (mostly in the back 9).
- Used only for disc golf, so you won't have to stop and wait for pedestrians.
- Well maintained park, the greens stay short.

Cons:

- The rough... it's very thick on some holes, and has a lot of thorny brush, so stay in the fairway.
- Hole 12 (a par 4 hole) is really long and really narrow.
- Lack of elevation. This coupled with the rough push it down from being 4 or 4.5 discs.

Other Thoughts:

This course is pretty much the same distance from my house as Sleepy Hollow. I prefer Sleepy Hollow because it has better elevation changes and the rough is not so rough there. However, with that being said, I really enjoy Reed Park, and if you are from the Lansing, St. Johns, Mt. Pleasant area it is worth a little drive to play for sure.
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5 0
SAxDrc
Experience: 15.8 years 23 played 16 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 23, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-nice course in a really nice county park.
-there is a lot of variety. some heavily wooded, some open shots. nice mix of hyzer/anhyzer shots. good variety in distance (161-450ish).
-not much traffic. I didn't see another disc golfer the entire time I was there.
-well taken care of. beautiful tee pads, practically new baskets, mowed fairways, really good signage
-nice scenery; course plays near a nice lake/pond with a stream. set in a pine/oak forest.
-hole 18 is sweet. (see "other thoughts")

Cons:

-the biggest con for me was that there is very little elevation change.
-if you leave the fairway expect to spend quite a long time trying to find your disc in some of the nastiest overgrowth I have seen. tons of poison ivy and pricker bushes.
-on hole 15 the sign looks like the basket was to the right so my first time I threw a RHFH. it was actually to the left and my drive was 150' too far right.

Other Thoughts:

the course is 12 minutes or so from my apartment so I can't believe it took me so long to check out it out. I could play this everyday given my choices in courses in the area.

the more I play this course the more I like it. I rated it a 4, yet I have NEVER seen another disc golfer on the course. I'm not sure If people just don't know about it or what...?


UPDATE: They have completely redone hole 18, and it is awesome. you throw slightly downhill and over a river. (I estimate 200' to the shore then another 100 to the basket)
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1 1
JohnnyShoes
Experience: 18 played 5 reviews
3.50 star(s)

This course has really developed! 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Excellent use of land, lots of different shots. Holes 1-4 are wonderful with a comet! No real water threats, isolated and lots of vegetation.

Cons:

Picker bushes. If you aren't all that good at disc golf, wear long pants to go through the pickers! Most have been eliminated, but bundles of them lurk! Parking is a bit away from the course.

Other Thoughts:

This course is great to play if you are out to have fun and enjoy the company of your friends.
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3 0
Portablewalrus
Experience: 22.8 years 15 played 7 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Ithaca 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 14, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

This is a nice, typical course in an unlikely location, though not too far north from Lansing. My first impression was that it was too nice for the amount of traffic it seems to get. Which, of course is a good thing. I'm sure the word will get out soon and more people will come to play. There seems to be a great variety of holes. Long bombers become more prevalent towards the latter half, while the first nine are full of dog legs and holes that go from open to wooded with the pin in some tight areas. Lots of blind shots and no water hazards make for an interesting play and may or may not be a "pro" depending on the type of player you are. the designer used the trees very well through out the course, and with a good drive makes for some pretty photo ops. Its also very well maintained as far as trash goes.

Cons:

Lots of shrubberies! So, bring an offering for the knights who say ni if your shots tend to stray and you want to keep your discs. Again there are no water hazards which may decrease the value in terms of variety. Also, there isn't much in the way of elevation change.

Other Thoughts:

If you get lost and find your self in the little town just north of the park, find the local cop who patrols! He was very helpful and led me right to the first hole. Plus it looks good for us rag tag discers to show that we aren't a bunch of broke hippies. Well... most of us at least.
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5 0
Innovadude
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 25.8 years 235 played 180 reviews
2.00 star(s)

blind greens 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 9, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Well marked (map here, there, rock signs, mowed paths, can't get lost).
- Cement tees, bathrooms, mowed
- Mix of short woods and longer open has shot variety

Cons:

- Thick, jungle like rough with tall grass, widespread poison ivy and thorns. Very easy to lose a disc.
- The back half of the course gets pretty unconventional, with too many holes having a blind 'fairway' and/or landing zone/green. One hole in particular is only 10ft wide (woods on right, chest high rough on left) for the first 150+- ft. or so, so if you can't throw far (beginner, kid) you are pretty much screwed. Said hole has a completely blind fairway and basket.
- Approx. 1/3 of the holes require you to be able to park it or lay up real short and play for par or risk ivy/lost disc.

Other Thoughts:

I lost 2 discs and would have lost a 3rd had I not gone back again to search. Half the round time was searching for discs. Play only in fall/winter.
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3 0
fleeulrich
Experience: 15.8 years 53 played 29 reviews
4.00 star(s)

great course layout! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Apr 28, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

The course has some real unique holes. Each hole was well marked, and easy to find. The holes are all marked with large rocks, and some holes have rocks pointing the way to the next tee. The big rocks at each pad have general hole layout, par, and hole # painted on them. When I played this course, they were almost finished installing concrete pads.

Cons:

To be honest I didn't find any real negatives with this course, other than the pickers lining some of the fairways. There are a couple holes with baskets that are hard to see 'til you get a lil closer.

Other Thoughts:

I would recommend this course to anyone. I really liked the layout of hole #3, almost like you were in a tunnel through the trees with the basket tucked nicely behind a sideways growing tree. Then there was hole #16 with a big hook to the right, that gives the chance to test out those anhyzers. When you get to the park, just follow the bridge across the pond to hole #1. Score cards with map are available right near hole #1 too.
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7 2
volklgirl
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 15.6 years 110 played 56 reviews
3.50 star(s)

3.5 Stars in North Star! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 28, 2010 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

This is a fun and challenging course that flows well and is nicely separated from all the other park activities, minimizing the risk of having flying discs injuring other park users. The course begins with a really nice, informative kiosk and well done, full color scorecards/maps. Information on Monday night clinics and weekly doubles leagues is laminated and clearly posted. All tee areas are clearly marked by large rocks, well-signed with hole #, footage, general direction, and par. Concrete tee pads are being installed, and those that don't yet have these still have dirt pads with footing that is consistently flat and secure.

This course utilizes some amazingly creative use of the park's limited terrain features and foliage, keeping interest factor and challenge high and unique. There's a great variety of right and left fades, doglegs, shaped fairways, open and wooded holes, and a number of blind holes. I love that each hole has at least 1 clearly defined fairway and there's not a dingle "pinball/toss-n-pray" hole in sight! I also loved that every hole was dramatically unique and the layout never got boring or repetitive.

The fun begins almost immediately with the unique #2; a left dogleg to a basket buried in a grove of trees. A too-short or too-left drive here will leave you picking your way through the trees, while staying to the right side of the fairway after the turn will give you a clear shot at the basket. The fun continues with the wooded #3 and its narrow, s-shaped fairway to the basket buried behind a horizontally leaning tree limb. Another squeezed fairway and a right hook to the basket then leads you to a series of longer, wide open holes where wind is in play. Straight drives and accuracy are highly rewarded on holes #13-#15, all of which have some definite penalties for lack of disc control. #16 is an evil right hook with the tee pad tucked back into a brushy copse. #17's curvy and dramatically squeezed fairway and thick rough will have out-of-control throwers cussing quickly and loudly while #18's basket placement in a huge sand pit after a big left turn will challenge many players.

Cons:

Finding the course within the park is challenging if you haven't done your homework, as it's well separated from the rest of the park. Simply follow the concrete sidewalk toward the pond and cross the bridge to find the course kiosk and first tee.

There's a bit of a hike down the entrance road to get back to your car when finished.

The raspberry bushes in the rough are epic!! You WILL want to wear full coverage clothing (long pants, long sleeve shirt, socks, and enclosed shoes) no matter how hot it is, or bring discs you would feel comfortable walking away from if they end up in the rough. Even this early in the spring, in full clothing, we got snagged, thorned, and, scratched. Ouch! Other than the thorns and the occasional copse of really thick brush, getting off the fairway here is rarely a huge disaster.

The hole information on many of the tee rocks has already worn/washed off. The directional signage on the rocks shows only the general direction of the basket and is not representative of the actual hole lay out.

Other Thoughts:

The course is set in a beautifully furnished and super clean park with really nice facilities and buildings. Ball fields, pavilions, grills, separate hike/bike trails, water hand pumps and a beach/swim area are all available in the park.

Avoid one mile of the drive on the sometimes nasty Johnson Rd by turning 1 mile north on the paved Buchanan Rd (follow the signs to North Star), then go south on Baldwin Rd for 1 mile. A left turn at the corner then leaves only about 1/2 mile of dirt on Johnson Rd.

Being a new course in a rural area means it's not getting a ton of traffic yet, so it's a fantastic place to play on those days when the college town and urban courses are packed.

*** Update 7/3/11 ***
Concrete tee pads and very nice 4x4 signage has been installed on all holes and much of the nastiest brush has been trimmed back. This course just keeps getting better!!!
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4 0
Oldstump
Experience: 144 played 6 reviews
2.50 star(s)

new course & park 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 18, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Both the park amenities and this disc course are fresh and new. Reed Park itself has a small shallow lake, numerous picknic sites connected with new sidewalks and new change house and bathrooms.

The course, while very level offers a bit of variety. Some holes with tree-lined fairways, a couple woods holes, and some open field holes as to air things out. There is also a variety in length. Some short but generally challenging ace prospects with some longer holes with a couple around 400'. Showing the newness are fairways in the wooded and field areas which appear to have been cleared with a dozer. In general these "cleared fairways are approximately 15-20 feet wide.

The hole markers (rocks) work well although some of the markings are already faded or smeared.

Cons:

Narrow fairways and prickers.! I regularly play a woods course so I don't expect a great expanse for fairways. The middle of this course (holes 6-14) are through old field areas with some scrub wood growth. these old fields through the years have become populated with a tall plant with prickly hard stem that is like a rose stem or raspberry plant on steroids. This grows thickly in almost all areas not in the fairway in this section of the course. Wear long pants!

Other Thoughts:

For being a brand new course Reed Park shows potential.

A couple things course management might consider:

Put locks on your baskets!

Consider periodic brush-hogging the middle section of holes 6-14. Cutting this growth back over time may bring back grass which is a much more tolerable rough. Also through this section which holds the courses longer holes this might open up the fairways a bit.

It will be interesting to see how this course matures. I could see my rating changing as I play this course more and see improvements come.
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5 1
runninlikebarry20
Experience: 15 years 111 played 10 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Reed Park 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 17, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Seems to be a new build course. It flows very well and is easy to navigate through without any signs. The tee boxes are marked with large stones that detail each hole. Most baskets are strategically placed amongst coverage from trees, which is a nice change.

Cons:

No signs yet but easily navigated once we found hole 1.

Other Thoughts:

A great course to play even in the snowy winter kind of weather. This place has lots of potential and well worth your time to drive to. I cant wait to play here in the spring and summer to see how all the trees and shrubs fill in.
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