Berrien Springs, MI

Andrews University

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2.985(based on 21 reviews)
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9 0
lukedpt
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 24.3 years 72 played 51 reviews
3.50 star(s)

College course with park style bomber holes

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 10, 2023 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-DGA baskets in fairly good repair
-Concrete tee pads for all but 1 hole
-Simple but seemingly accurate tee signs
-Multiple holes over 500' let you really open up your power
-Water and bathrooms available in multiple areas and buildings, but can be difficult to find if you don't know the campus
-Lots of parking

Cons:

-Finding your way the first time can be challenging, so udisc or a map is a good idea. There were maps on the first hole when I most recently played
-A few holes have been re-arranged, so be aware if you've played before
-The college requests that the course is not played on Saturday
-The holes are quite long, longer than I would expect on a college campus that is aimed at beginners trying the sport.
-multiple road crossings

Other Thoughts:

This is a solid course limited by signage and layout. If a better map was at the first hole or better "next tee" signage on the baskets, this would be less of a problem. While the distance may be intimidating to some, there is enough technical challenge and diversity of shots to make it worth a play for almost any skill level. Glad to have this course on such a beautiful college campus.
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2 2
David25
Experience: 2.8 years 11 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great Time 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 15, 2021 Played the course:once

Pros:

1: Great course to work on your drivers.
2: Some good technical holes.
3: Well manicured course.

Cons:

1: Long walks between some of the baskets and the next tee.
2: Need to have a course map or you might have some difficulty finding your way.

Other Thoughts:

1: Really like how some of the trees along the course are labeled. Very educational!
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10 0
Cerealman
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 15.7 years 572 played 173 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Lengthy labyrinth of confusion 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 30, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

Grab your compass, course map and walking shoes for your visit to the Andrews University DGC. The college layout offers plenty of hiking across its elegant and mostly open campus, though the directional dilemmas mar the overall score for this course.

The traversability is excellent, mostly due to how flat the course plus the lovely grassy lawns, which appear to be frequently mowed and maintained. The concrete teepads are in good shape and they are conveniently level with the ground.

The main challenge of this course is distance, and you are unlikely to hit many trees, as most of the holes are open.

That openness is a bit repetitive, which means Hole #14 is clearly the best hole on the course. The par-4, 528-foot hole goes through a moderately woodsy shaded area that offers several lines toward the basket. Hole #15 is also in this isolated section of campus, and while these holes require an extra-long walk to reach, I wish there were a few more holes of this style and caliber on the course.

The areas of the course with overgrowth are few.

Cons:

The distance you will walk between holes is longer than the course itself. Several of the transitions are both lengthy and unclear. By lengthy, I mean ridiculous. And by unclear, I mean a mind-screwing labyrinth of confusion. Even with a map, first-timers can expect to spend a few minutes seeking to locate the next hole in several spots. There are a few bricks in the ground near the baskets to indicate the direction of the next hole. However, the dirt mostly obscures many of these bricks, and even knowing the right direction is only minimally useful sometimes.

Just one of the challenging transitions is for Hole #4 - it's across the street, and I'm sure many first-timers end up on the Hole #5 teepad instead. After Hole #6, there is a lengthy walk across the front entrance of campus to the next basket. Hole #9 is another out-of-the-way hole; it's across the street from Hole #8, then afterward, it's another walk back across one of the main campus roads to the next hole. Another several-minute-walk awaits after Hole #12. Then after Hole #13, you're dropped off in front of a large university building with absolutely no sense of where the next hole might be hidden. Even with a map, it took us probably 10 minutes to orient ourselves and wander our way onto the next teepad. And then finding Hole #17 isn't intuitive as they've hidden the teepad behind some bushes.

If the previous paragraph was difficult to follow, just wait until you play the Andrews University course. There are numerous transitions that require crossing streets, and many times the next teepad isn't visible. In addition, the basket is hidden on several of the holes and the correct direction isn't always intuitive. Of course, this navigational nonsense should only affect first-timers.

The amenities are lacking on this course. The tee signs are plain (just hole number and distance on a wooden post) and there are no benches.

The design is poor on several of the holes. Hole #8 requires throwing through a very narrow gap in a line of trees. Hole #11 goes in a goofy U-shaped pattern. Hole #13 is 327 feet but the teepad is among the evergreens and the ceiling of pine needles and branches limits your distance.

Other Thoughts:

Andrews University is an appealing option for big arms who do not mind commutes between holes, as the average distance per hole is nearly 350 feet. Unfortunately, this style is a poor fit for a college audience that might be checking out the game for the first time. Only a few holes are under 250 feet, and several of the shortest holes are more difficult than they need to be.

The course is not very interesting, and the wide-open design combined with lengthy hikes between holes are not my cup of tea. Plus, the navigation is some of the worst I've experienced.
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8 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Need To Rent A Cart For This Course! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 22, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Andrews University is a Seventh Day Adventist affiliated school which sits on a very large track of land. Much of this land is a lovely green park area. It's almost totally flat except for the area with holes 14 & 15. The disc golf course starts and loops back to the visitor's parking lot. By the time you loop back to your car, you've probably lost 5 pounds or your mind. This course is long (6235') and that's not counting a couple of 500' walkouts. I could have designed three courses on this vast acreage and not infringe on any college activities. There is that much room.

The course has these very cool, pretty green concrete tee pads. Prettiest tee pads anywhere! The tee signs are basic little wooden ones giving the hole #, distance and par. Speaking of par, they're set for advanced players, like # 5's 642' Par 4. I know the par doesn't really matter for some of you. But I'd rather par a hole than bogie it. The baskets are DGA models with the red #'s and they face the correct way.

Navigation was dicey. There were three long walkouts of about 500 feet. The first 2-3 baskets had a small piece of yellow tape facing the next pads. They helped and after # 3, there were no more of them. I had printed off a map but had trouble deciphering it. I had printed off some navigational instructions but forgot to bring them at first. Duh! I was fine for the first three holes but totally missed # 4. It's across the street by itself and plays out maybe 325'. Then you walk back to play the long' 642', # 5.

I have mixed emotions about this courses. There are enough scattered trees to add challenge. The winds added challenge today. Navigation was a challenge, as well. There were a few holes where there was a small window just in front of the tee box. They probably just get in your head more than actually affecting your drive.

# 8 is interesting. The basket is visible 248' through a small opening in the thick grove of trees/bushes. That opening is tiny, about 150' feet out. Stronger players can probably just go over the top.

Cons:

Long walkouts.

Very few navigational signs. Navigation is not necessarily intuitive.

Long for a campus course.

No pretty tee pad on # 9.

Other Thoughts:

I see the appeal here. There are some fun lines to hit. Those are not really difficult, usually you just have to avoid that one tree or clump. Rollers can be helpful. The two holes 14 and 15 are fun and interesting in their own little section of park. I also particularly enjoyed the last two holes. They're just fun little tosses.

It's a long walk around. I'm not sure about having a college PE class tackle a course this long? Wouldn't they find more success on a shorter tract? If you can drive 400', I'll think you'd enjoy this course and should get over here and play it. Print the map and the information sheet and good luck. Then ice your arm after playing. And hopefully, whoever placed the yellow tape on the baskets will make the effort to do it once more.

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1 3
Av8rga
Experience: 16 years 13 played 4 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Very nice just use the map 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 20, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is nestled among the perfect grounds of a university. It's easy to play. Some of the shots are tough to find but I found a map with a google search. I took someone who has never thrown a disk and he kept asking me "are they all this nice?.."

Cons:

Some of the baskets are thought to find. All in a days walk..

Other Thoughts:

I'll be back when i can.
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7 1
Tony Koch
Experience: 10.9 years 55 played 10 reviews
1.50 star(s)

A horrible letdown 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 14, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

-At a nice looking campus.
-Not many people playing here in the summer.
-Very nice and large tees which include brooms to sweep stuff off.
-Oddly placed holes. (See cons)
-Chances to really air out your discs.

Cons:

-Oddly placed holes. This is a pro and a con. In my mind, having a few holes that are in weird or hard to get to spots is okay. But Andrews has WAY too many. The hole where you have to throw through pine trees is laughable because there is a tiny opening so technically you can see the hole. A few holes have awful sharp left turns. Most beginner-moderate players including myself probably hate these because your precision has to be dead on.
-Hole 5 I think is pathetic, you can't even see the hole!!! I love whipping discs but this is just a dumb distance.
-Now some of the holes are okay, but the real problem here is the general layout...
-No maps or any signage that indicates where to head to for the next hole. (Wait, you have BROOMS but no maps?! Cmon man!)
-LONG walks. These usually aren't a huge deal, but this place has numerous ones after hole 5. Ridiculous.
-And many are hard to find. They could be anywhere.

Other Thoughts:

-Here's the story, my buddy and I played here and we didn't even get to hole 13 or 14 because we couldn't find it. And this was after we searched endlessly all game for each hole. This showed what we thought of the course, so bored of looking for holes that we just stopped.
-The reviews here got me so excited for this course. MAYBE if there was a lot more signage it would be better, but overall for me it was an enormous letdown.
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4 1
hfolk
Experience: 12.9 years 13 played 2 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Decent Course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 12, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Nice open course, allowing for some nice practice on your drives. It allowed me to try out a few of my new discs, with out the fear of losing them to weeds or drilling a tree.

In great condition, the school takes care of it and players seem to respect the course.

Went on a Friday and we were the only ones on the course, not sure if its because school was out for the summer, or not a busy course, but it was nice to play with out feelings rushed.

Cons:

Very difficult to navigate to the next hole. Suggest you bring a smart phone with the photos loaded, that way you can pull up the pictures of the tees, so you can know which way to head.

Parking can be confusing. We parked by the music building and walked to hole one located on the other side of the building.

Granted we went in the beginning of the season when bugs were bad, but with in the hour and half it took to play through, we had countless mosquito bites!

Other Thoughts:

BRING BUG SPRAY!
Look at the pictures for tees so you don't get completely lost and spend half your day looking for next hole.
Not a very challenging course but a good time killer.
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6 1
EagleWings
Experience: 9 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Let 'er Rip! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 17, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great long drives, mostly open shots. Placement and distance is needed, though not too much accuracy. The concrete tees are a great addition to the course, and make it very fun to play. Many thanks to Greg Morrow, the AU Aquatics director and designer of the course. This course has a nice amount of difficulty, but plenty of 'easy,' long, open drives.

Cons:

The course can be hard to navigate for a new player. I don't find this to be an issue since I go to school at Andrews and play on this course VERY frequently.
If you're used to a tightly wooded, accuracy demanding layout such as the course in Niles, MI, you may not like how (relatively) little accuracy this course requires.

Other Thoughts:

For those who are not as comfortable with the campus, I am working on creating an accurate map of the course, using GPS readings of tees, baskets, and many of the trees. Cannot say when this will be complete.
In the meantime, check the Hole Tips. I posted several brief descriptions about the holes and common ways to throw them.

Please respect the campus. The course is closed from sundown Friday evening to sundown Saturday evening each week for Sabbath. No smoking, alcohol, or drugs are allowed on the campus or the course.
This course is free, so is this so much to ask?
I'm surprised the University doesn't charge for such a nice course.
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6 1
apdrvya
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 13.9 years 350 played 293 reviews
3.00 star(s)

New Map Needed---So, I made one! :) 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Dec 17, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Aesthetic- Plays through a gorgeous campus in southwest Michigan. The campus itself and the surrounding area is beautiful. BEWARE, the campus has OTHER PEOPLE on it and could pose a hazard, be careful.

Baskets-ChainStars- in great repair and easy to see.

Teesigns/pads- Teesigns seem to have accurate distances on them and the pads seem to face the baskets

Unique looks- there are many unique looks here that you don't expect on a campus course. the mini-tunnel on #13, the tight ceiling on #17 and many other places have impressive looks.

Challenge/Variety- I tend to disagree with the review that said this is not a beginner course. the length is fair and the pars are adjusted on the longer holes. VERY beginner friendly.

Cons:

NAVIGATION- I can't say enough how much you need a map and a good review. I used disc'n'dav's review EXTENSIVELY to help navigate. I made a map to reflect the new layout and had timg remove the outdated map.

Teepads-not in the best repair and potentially could be slick when wet.

Potential danger- crossing roads, paths and other busy areas with students can be tricky and dangerous if you're not careful

Other Thoughts:

please respect this campus. no drinking, smoking or unruly behavior is not too much to ask
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7 0
discNDav
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 37.8 years 436 played 91 reviews
3.00 star(s)

tough to navigate 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 17, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

On a college campus which is very well maintained with cut grass and no litter seen.

The newer baskets are great!

This course can be LONG in places which is a bonus since I like throwing 2 drives sometimes rather than approach shots. Lots of a variety of shots required (once you find the tees).

Not tightly wooded, you shoot around large mature trees on most of the holes.

Very scenic landscaped campus.

Cons:

Terrible navigation problems, the course simply isn't marked very well. I met another lost golfer while trying to find hole 1 so we played together which made it easier. Without my notes from another review, I would not of found several holes. Look for the wooded post but these aren't always obvious from the previous basket.

LONG walks between some holes especially btw 13 and 14, go right of the building, cross the street, go left some more.

Cross the street and play a hole, cross back sometimes, see other thoughts.

The info on the tee posts shows the distance but no indication of left or right or straight, twice we shot at the wrong basket in view.

The tee pads are plastic green fencing nailed into the ground and can be slippery. Several times I stepped to the left or right of them.

Pedestrians can slow play since you are on a campus.

Other Thoughts:

I didn't notice the yellow ribbons on the baskets pointing you towards the next tee until hole 7.

Under directions, I added go the past main college campus to L on Grove and then L on Walnut Ct, this will put you near #1.

I didn't register and didn't know I was suppose to until now.

Print the map here but as reviewed earlier
7 is now 1, 8 is now 2, 9 is now 3 and so on.

Cross the street after 3 to 4.

Cross the street btw 6 and 7.

Cross the street to #9, tee is near shed.

Cross the street #10, behind the gatehouse, the basket is a dogleg left, not the one you see on the right.

Backtrack towards 10 to get to 11.

Cross the street for #13.

#14 tee is bitch to find, the basket is long and left not long and straight (that's #15 basket).

#17 tee is L and behind the row of pine trees.





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5 1
YRNINVegas
Experience: 11.7 years 7 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Here's how to read the map!! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 3, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Mown grass, no worries about losing discs when playing alone (except for maybe 14 if you shank a hyzer into the woods, for you RHBHers...)
Clean campus. Andrews holds high standards for its students and its facilities. Props.
Different looks from the tees. There were some interesting thoughts about lines on some, while there were enough grip-n-rips to maintain some levity.
Excellent baskets (even though one of my putts got summarily spit out)
Tee signs are simple and elegant.
Distance range is good, from a 218 uphill wooded to a number of 275-ish ace-if you're-brilliant-and-too-lucky-to-not-be-in-a-casino, with 3 holes over 500. Nice variety.
No crowds, but I play mid-afternoons when normal people work. Crossed paths with one other player.

Cons:

Flow is broken by some loooooonnnnng walks. Again, 13 to 14 pretty much lost me, except I was able to log into this site to get a clue from another reviewer.
8 has some poison ivy under the trees designed to kidnap errant tomahawks.
Tees are brutal. 9's is a concrete extension from the sidewalk now, about 20' ahead of the tee's signpost.
17 is not visible from 16 basket. You have to go past the bushes into what you might think is someone's backyard.
There are NO trashcans and only one portapotty in The Grove near 14 tee.
It would be difficult to hold any events here, as SDA prohibits use of the course from Friday dusk through Saturday for Sabbath.

Other Thoughts:

Word is the U bought the materials to build concrete teepads, but don't have the manpower. I may call the college and find out how to get the job done. (Having your name on a "this teepad brought to you by" sign would be pretty cool, no?) They've put new maps on #1 and #14 tees that are hand drawn on a two-sided sheet. Better than nothing, and at least numbered correctly, but a little crude. I'll leave this up in case you'd rather the map from dave...Here's how to read the map that davetherocketguy linked...

Read it this way...MAP is now CURRENT...got it?

7 is now 1, 8 is now 2, 9 is now 3

From 3, the new 4 is not marked on the map. Cross Grove Ave. to find the teepad. (It's about the direction of "o" in "Grove" on the map, if that makes any sense...) It's the only hole on that side of the street.

10 is now 5, 11 is now 6, long walk across the entrance boulevard. 12 is now 7, 13 is now 8, 14 is now 9, 15 is now 10, 16 is now 11, 17 is now 12 (heading back toward your car If you parked next to HPAC), 18 is now 13, and now the long walk...trust me now...2 is now 14, 3 is now 15, 4 is now 16, but the tee is closer to AH than is marked, but visible from 15 basket. 5 is now 17, and 6 is now 18.

Notice I didn't mention what on the map is #1. My speculation is that that basket got moved to the new #4, and along with the change in where to start, is the only real change to the course.

The course is pretty and varied enough to give you this resource. I enjoyed the course, even getting lost as I did. Hope you do too.
(Enjoy it that is...not get lost.)
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4 1
alexjensen
Experience: 15.6 years 42 played 11 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Get your bomb out! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 27, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is PHENOMENAL! Honestly I can't rave about it enough. It is almost exactly what I look for in a disc golf experience.

Excellent length. You can't rely on good putting or a midrange game here. You better get your bomb out... This course is long. Not overally long, but you will throw a driver off every tee.

Very well kept with excellent baskets. No need to worry about lost discs, burn weed, or poison ivy here, you are playing on beautiful grass all the way. Great mature trees that drape over each shot line really making a lot of challenging throws. This course looks very very mature.

Super quite, we were the only players on the course. There was no worries about hitting another group or anything like that. Also, because of this it is an excellent course to bring beginning players. Despite the fact that the course is pretty long, the lines are very open so you can throw under 200 without worrying about hitting a tree as much. This does not mean that trees are out of the question. For a good player throwing around 400 you have some awesome tree issues. Not tons of young trees that get in the way, but awesome matures trees which really add to the difficulty here.

This course is an incredible, almost holy, experience. I commend whomever designed it, because they really did an awesome job. People who rate this course low are not focusing on how incredible it really is. Very long, awesome lines, and very well kept. There are really only a few (kind of serious) negatives, but are only negatives to certain players.

Cons:

This course is probably up there with the worst marked courses I have ever played. The holes are very spread out and honestly you never really know where you are going next. Unlike a wooded course, which this is not, you do not know which path you need to take to the next hole. There are no signs, maps, or anything. We guessed multiple times which pin we were throwing to, and which tee pad we had to go to next. I had to run entire holes to find the next pin, not to mention we were not always sure we were on the correct tee pad. Despite this... get over it! It's totally worth it, because if you play this course more than once you will find everything.

The tee pads were not very nice. They were just rubber mats which were overgrown with grass. I, however, am different from many disc golfers because despite the fact that this took about 40' off my drives, I got to play barefoot which I am always excited for.

If you require a well marked course with cement tee pads, this is not your course. This is not what disc golf is all about though, and this course has almost everything I look for in a course.

Other Thoughts:

So this course is LONG. It is also horribly marked, and there are no people out there to help you to where everything is. It seems incredibly mature however, and is honestly a blast to play. If you appreciate this course for what it is, you will most certainly have an excellent time. For a good disc golf player you get to do everything that is the most fun about throwing frisbys. You get to bomb massive drives, throw over lines of trees, and whip awesome midrange shots. Enjoy this course for what it is... A very mature, difficult, and long course.
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12 1
davetherocketguy
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.7 years 114 played 105 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Hope you like walking 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 1, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

- There are very nice DGA baskets with large numbers on the tops making them easy to pick out.
- If you have a big arm and are fairly accurate this is the course for you. Not a lot of obstructions and certainly not a lot of heavy underbrush on any of the holes except for the most errant of shots. Even noobish players that can consistently drive 250' will find themselves within putting distance on many of the holes after their second shot.
- All of the holes are on mowed grass. What the course lacks in challenge, hills, water hazards it certainly makes up for in length. Roller throwers rejoice.
- I don't recall seeing any course design no-no's as in fairways crossing each other or crossing busy walkways or roadways. #16 does cross a drive but it does not seem busy. If I wanted to be really picky, the basket for 7 seemed like it was a little close to the line between the 8 tee and basket.
- I also like the hole markers at each of the tee boxes.
- As of the update on this review, there are now CONCRETE tees. This is a fantastic addition over the nonsense that used to be there. Very nicely done with a nicely roughened surface for fantastic grip off the tee.
- To assist in navigation when it isn't obvious on the map, there are bricks at each basket shaped in an arrow to indicate the next tee.
- MAPS! Yes, they now have maps at the first tee...WAHOO!!

Cons:

- The layout is not the best and VERY spread out. The walk between 13 and 14 is just absurd.
- There are also no typical items that DG'ers love to have on a course; trash cans and benches - or at least there are very few of them. Since smoking and drink are strictly forbidden it certainly isn't necessary to have a can on every hole but it may not be a bad idea to spread out a few throughout.

Other Thoughts:

I would like to mention that I do really appreciate Andrews University making a course that is open to the public just down the road from where I live. In spite of all the walking it was fun and a great place to work on my rather whimpy drives.

I've worked with SDA folks before and regardless of your religious views they are very nice people even though they are strict. Please respect their rules because they did not have to make this course open to everyone. I also want to applaud whoever got this course installed in the first place. Campus politics can be difficult if not impossible to work with. Job well done.

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4 0
silvertransformer
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Big Course 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

A big pro I would give this course is the variety of the shots. Some baskets are very challenging; while others are very easy. To me this makes for an interesting round. Another plus is that the course is free to play. I played today 8/30 and saw at the very first tee pad a plastic holder that had maps of the course. This will certainly help out quite a bit.

Cons:

One thing I do not like is that the course is so spread out. I saw a couple of spots where they could have easily put in a couple of baskets. Also most of the tee pads were a rubber mat with holes. Another con is that unless you play with someone who is familiar with the course it is very hard to navigate since you have to walk though the campus to get to some baskets. There is a map on their website, but it does not exactly match up with anything.

Other Thoughts:

Overall this is a good course. Especially if you like walking. Because of the size of the course and the length of some of the baskets I would not recommend this course for people who are new to the game.
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7 1
Innovadude
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 25.8 years 235 played 180 reviews
3.00 star(s)

this is for nav. help! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 26, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good overall design of most holes, mostly longer than average, up to 600 ft. Very flat, all mowed grass terrain with well manicured trees.
Tee signs
Free parking in visitors lot
Little rough
Very forgiving on bad shots, but you do have to work to get the good shots.

Cons:

Tees suck, better off teeing to the side
Some ivy on a few holes
You can get lost for hours!

Other Thoughts:

Navigation Aid:
After #6- cross entrance road #7's tee is near the main road (by a few large tress, about 500 ft walk)
#9- across road to left, near a shed
#10- back across same road, hidden behind gatehouse shack!!
#11- backtrack, similar shot, basket way left around woods
#13- if you notice #18 (behind hole #1 and near parking lot), #13's tee is across street from #18's tee, next to 16's basket for some reason
#14- huge walk- around to the right of building behind and to right of #13 basket, then across street, towards pavilion down by edge of woods!
#17- hidden behind pine like bushes near intersection left of #16's basket
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6 0
Jukeshoe
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.6 years 315 played 266 reviews
2.50 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 16, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

- This course snakes through the college's flat, but attractive campus. Mature trees come into play quite nicely, providing the lion's share of difficulty throughout the 18 holes. Hard doglegs, protected pins, a few blind looks off the tee, a mandatory, and low canopy shots throughout prove to be the main thrills and spills at St. Andrew's. No schule except for in one or two spots on the edges of fairways adjacent to private properties.
- Good mixture of distances. Several longer holes and a few holes where not having a big arm for a hyzer spike up and over small trees will hurt you.
- Decent mixture of shots: left, right, up and over, et al.
- Sufficient signage. The tee signs are nothing more than the hole number and distance, but the yellow tape on each basket points out the next tee location. Pay attention to this or chances are you'll miss at least two or three holes.
- Very little chance to lose a disc. This is a good course for families: enough challenge to keep experienced discers occupied while not terribly difficult or frustrating for younger or novice players. The grassy fairways and shaded walks make this course enjoyable for all.

Cons:

- The flow is fairly difficult to follow, even with the yellow tape on the baskets pointing out the direction. Trouble first arises after #6 in trying to find #7's tee. Cross the street and just keep walking in the direction indicated by the yellow tape. In one case (#9 to #10), the basket's direction was slightly off, and the walk long enough for one to end up pretty far away from the proper tee. At another juncture (#13 to #14), the walk is an improbable jaunt around a large campus building, across a busy intersection, down a sidewalk (keep your eyes peeled for a sign that says "The Grove"), to the tee located by a pavilionunder
some trees. Several of the walks between holes are on the "long" side of the spectrum.
- Not a whole lot of risk/reward. Trees do provide obstacles, but often not enough to prevent recovery for fairly easy pars. The entirely flat course doesn't get any elevation involved except for errant shots to the left of #14's basket, where a steep ravine leads down to a small stream.
- Many of the holes work through busy sections of the campus, with students often crossing fairways without much thought.
- The tee pads are slitted rubber mats inset, occasionally badly, into the ground. On several holes the tees are buckled, and often the grass beside the tee provides better footing. A couple of tees (#9 and #15) are natural, and look as though the mat has been ripped up; however, all tees are clearly marked with a wooden post and a brick foot fault line.

Other Thoughts:

- Certainly not a destination course, but a solid option if you're in the area. I'd imagine the course is infinitely more playable and enjoyable when school is out...I'd personally avoid this course while the student population is out and about en masse.
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6 0
mashnut
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 22.1 years 831 played 767 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Long, flat and open 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

The course plays through grassy fields around a college campus with nice mature trees. The layout does a nice job avoiding other campus activities and walking paths, so it would be pretty playable even with school in session. There is a decent mix of hole lengths, with some ace runs and some long bombs. A few holes have enough trees to make you shape some different lines.

There are basic tee signs and tape on the baskets showing direction to the next tee. The course is nicely maintained, with well mowed grass and no trash or vandalism. With how open the land is, I thought the design was pretty creative in how the trees and bushes available were brought into play. I love seeing courses on college campuses, it's a great exposure for the sport.

Cons:

One place I disagree with the course designers is the length. As an overall course, I have no issue with the hole lengths, so this con doesn't affect my rating, but the course is really long for new players. We saw people skipping several long holes, or getting frustrated on the bomber holes, not a great way to introduce beginners.

The design is creative, but with such a flat and generally open area to work with it's hard to design a course that won't feel at least a little repetitive. There are some really long walks that aren't immediately obvious, the tape on the baskets helps in most cases, but a couple take some wandering to figure out. The tees are very slippery rubber, I almost fell on a dry day so I would imagine that it would be pretty treacherous when wet. It's obvious people tee off in the grass next to a lot of the pads so there's some erosion going on.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, this is a decent course that's not a bad place to stop. Parking on a weekday might be an issue, but it was no problem on a weekend. I would like to see short tees for newer players to make it a little better place to introduce the sport to beginners. More experienced players will get to stretch out their arm, but won't find enough variety to really challenge different parts of their game.
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6 0
Noill
Premium Member
Experience: 14.7 years 133 played 6 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Decent for a university course 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

This is a fair course with lots of bomber runs. Each tee had a post in the ground and a small sign indicating hole no. and hole length. The baskets have yellow tape on the upper and lower rings of the lower entrapment device (basket) indicating the direction to the next tee... this proved very helpful as some of the holes are very far from each other. All of the holes are on fields that are mostly open but there are enough trees to provide obstacles. Without the trees it would just be a bunch of flat runs.
A few holes were shorter but use obstacles very well. For a flatland course, I was impressed that they found ways to make it more interesting.
The students and locals walking around all seemed excessively kind... I was having trouble finding hole no. 1 and I asked for help (I didn't get good answers but they all seemed to really want to help me).

Cons:

The course seems to have changed a lot from the pictures I saw posted here. I spoke with some locals that were having a hard time spotting the course themselves. Luckily, I had my monocular with me and was able to use it to scan around to find the next tee. At the time I played this the course had some long gaps between pin to next tee (the worst offenders: Pin 6 to tee 7; Pin 9 to tee 10; Pin 12 to tee 13; Pin 13 to tee 14 <--crazy long). The course makes you cross over the street five or six times... this can be OK but on busy days at the university it could prove to be a bit troublesome.

Other Thoughts:

The best place to park is at Parking Lot 4 toward the back left (a visitors lot as well so no university parking sticker required). This will leave you very close to the first hole. Teepads were mostly rubber mesh with a submerged brick front (about three bricks long and about 3 - 4 feet across the front of the teepad). These rubber mesh pads were OK on some tees but were getting buried on others. Some teepads were natural (only a few). Holes 14 and 15 play in the most wooded part of the course though it is still pretty open... running along these holes is a wooded valley that I would love to see at least 3 additional holes put in... that space looks very promising but alas there is only a hiking trail and no baskets in that valley... big sigh on that.
OK. for those that are going to this course:
Hole 11 is going to make you want to shoot over an OB area as it is directly between the tee and the pin... go for it! It's very do-able. If you don't make it... sorry :D
When you finish hole 6, check the yellow strips on the basket for the direction of teepad 7. Walk in that direction and cross over the road. Keep going toward a big tree in the distance. You will see the post indicating teepad 7.
When you finish hole 12, check the yellow strips on the basket for the direction of teepad 13. Walk in that direction, you will walk along the parking lot and will even pass up teepad 18 on your way. Teepad 13 is just across the street from teepad 18... you will see the post for teepad 13 and the basket for hole 16 to the right and about 30 feet away.
When you finish hole 13, check the yellow strips on the basket for the direction of teepad 14. Walk in that direction toward the main road. Make a left on that road (you will need to cross over the road as well). You will see the Custodial Services building (also a sign that says "The Grove"). You will also see a pavilion next to the Custodial building. Teepad 14 is right next to the parking lot there (You can see the post indicating the hole). This is the longest walk from a pin to next tee that I have ever experienced and add to this that it is impossible to spot teepad 14 from pin 13...this is a fun little area that they moved holes 14 and 15 to...seems worth it but what a walk from 13!
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6 0
ryankilgore
Experience: 16.8 years 23 played 3 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Worth playing 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 28, 2011 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

* Makes good use of the available land and trees/bushes. Holes have variety and "fun" factor.
* Includes some longer holes (four par 4's).
* Not crowded.
* Grounds very well kept.

Cons:

* Teepads. :(
* Almost entirely flat.
* No heavily wooded holes (though some moderately wooded). With little OB, this results in most holes having little risk of punishment for a poor throw.
* No trashcans or restrooms.
* A couple longish walks between holes (though not unreasonable).
* Not a huge variety of shot shapes required. Few holes require a RHBH player to throw an anny.

Other Thoughts:

The numbering problem due to a hole being moved shortly after the course was installed has now been corrected. All signs are accurate as of this review. Additionally, each basket now has a small bit of tape on the cage that points out the direction of the next tee. Without a map or guide, some first-time players may still have difficulty locating holes 12 and 13, as they are not within immediate view of the previous basket.

The teepads (a green plastic grate imbedded under the turf, intended for use in high-traffic areas on playgrounds and such) are scheduled to be replaced by concrete pads "soon." For now, most locals just throw from beside the pad.

In short, it's a fun course to play and well designed. Not perfect, but a good work in progress. Despite the reviews, it is clearly the superior course in the area.
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5 0
gordonbombay
Experience: 14.9 years 57 played 7 reviews
2.00 star(s)

For a college they sure need counting lessons 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 15, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

-Brand new baskets.
-Course is very well maintained/mowed.
-A few wide open holes to let you open up.
-Regardless of being flat there is good use of available trees and shrubery.
-Beginner friendly course (if you dont count the navigation debacle)

Cons:

-Tees/Baskets dont match up. Hole 2 plays to 1's basket and so on until you get to hole 7 and there is no Basket 7. If this sounds confusing believe me it was even more frustrating to play.
-Relatively flat course.
-No trash cans.
-Tee pads are not only short but get very slick with dew/after rain.

Other Thoughts:

From what I gather the course starts by the Custodial Services building with tee marker 2 and plays to hole 1.
Hole 7 I dubbed The Four Horseman. You not only have a long drive but have four towering pines 50 feet in front of the tee with 12 feet of clearance underneath. Kind of a cool signature hole.
Definately take a course map with you if you go. (I will be uploading one shortly)
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