Harbor Springs, MI

The Crowle Hole DGC

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3.235(based on 11 reviews)
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1 0
g0ing2f4st
Experience: 15.8 years 7 played 6 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Decent course, deserves to be improved 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 27, 2017 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

+ Very clean course
+ Heavy trees force you to throw a variety of shots
+ Tons of elevation changes adds challenge, hole 1 & 10 make you feel like you throw like a pro
+ $1 per day donation to play is a good deal

Cons:

- No course map or practice basket
- No benches
- Back 9 really needs some stairs in a few places (Hole 12 the most!)
- Back 9 is natural tees
- A hole that is only 96 feet
- Overall low difficulty level for a heavily wooded course
- Tennis courts & heavy industry adjacent created a lot of unpleasant noise during the round

Other Thoughts:

Most of the cons I noted about this course could be fixed. Stretch out the 96 foot hole to 150, add benches throughout, tees & stairs to back 9 and you would be up to a 4/5 star course.

The lack of benches combined with the steep elevation make this course exhausting, that should really be highest priority for improvement.

During the two rounds I played, the sounds of sawing, beeping & smashing could be heard throughout the entire course (millworks directly adjacent to park). Obviously not something that can be fixed, but notable as it takes away from the natural feel of being in the woods.
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1 0
geodude
Experience: 40 played 38 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Good for the Whole Family 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 6, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great for young teenagers, over 50 parents. Good for players who like a technical course. No poison ivy, talked to some local dudes, there is zero poison ivy, never got it there. hole 9 finishes at your car so you can hit the water fountain, or bathroom. regroup. even my wife can hit a birdie due to the shortness of some holes. Concrete tee pads have been installed on 1-9 along with some other work. Every hole has challenge, every hole has a line to get there.

Cons:

If you are young and strong and want to throw far, this is not your place. Otherwise there are no negatives. great use of a small park. Dirt tees on holes 10-18.

Other Thoughts:

nice beach down the hill to jump in the lake on a hot day. thank you Harbor Springs!
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3 0
apdrvya
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 13.9 years 350 played 293 reviews
2.50 star(s)

pitch and putt 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:May 20, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Aesthetic-- plays down and up sledding hills on an abandoned ski hill. Course has two halves, truly, which makes it easy to play 9 or 18.

Baskets-- all there and in great shape. Orange bands may have made it easier to spot baskets in the heavy woods.

Teesignage-- great. very nice diagrams with distances and hole number. Did not find #9's teesign.

Teepads-- mixed with concrete and dirt pads. marked foul lines. adequate.

Cons:

Challenge-- The course is very short and technical. The challenge factor can be high if you're not a technical player. Master a putter and a mid and you should be golden here.

Risk v Reward-- not much of any here. very little chance to lose a disc.

The basics-- a 94' hole that I threw six discs at. I metalled 3 times. Should have aced. The course is just very short.


Other Thoughts:

I couldn't rate the course any higher than this. I'm sorry. after playing the other courses I played this day, this one just didn't stack up. Go play blissfest!!
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2 0
Mark R
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 21.8 years 115 played 89 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Sep 27, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Two 400-plus foot downhill bombs (Holes 1 and 10) elevate the fun factor to high levels. Both holes are near wide-open, with rough on the left (Hole 1) and right (Hole 10). Despite some high winds off of Lake Michigan, the downhill grade is steep enough to generate enough speed to keep your drive from either hyzering or crashing. Though not up to the ski-hill standard set by the nearby Mt. McSauba course, these are both terrific holes.

The other sixteen holes are tightly-wooded forest holes. Though underwhelming at first, they grow on you after the first couple of plays. Inspired in design by Coldbrook Park, they actually have more steep elevation changes that are more reminiscent of Myles Kimmerly, with many tall deciduous trees filled with woodpeckers and squirrels. The best of these holes have left turns in small valleys, such as Hole 2 (uphill), Holes 5 and 7 (downhill). The back nine is a bit more scenic, with two very steep drives (Holes 12 and 17). Hole 13 is another shorty, but has a precariously-perched pin position along a ridge that resembles many holes at LA's Chavez Ridge at Elysian. Hole 18 is a downhill tunnel hole leading back to the parking lot that is harder than it looks. The dense shade in the wooded portion of the course makes sunscreen unnecessary, though there are some bugs.

Though the course generally lacks amenities, signage is better than average, with color-printed layouts of each hole. Navigation is generally easy, though there are a few opportunities to make a wrong turn here and there.

Cons:

This is a short course, as stated elsewhere, with some 'cheap' holes. Hole 8 is a 'Par 2' 94 foot 'miniature' disc golf hole. Hole 15 has a too-narrow right turn that seems a bit like a filler hole. Dirt tees are uneven, but are sufficient for sub-250 foot drives. Has a few more-than-average sawed-off stumps to whack feet and ankles on. The course lacks a bit of diversity, with no meadow holes and limited differentiation among the forest holes. The course is essentially fully-realized, with cement tees being one of few opportunities for improvement.

Other Thoughts:

Not the place to go for Pros looking to display their driving skills, but an excellent beginner/intermediate level course that tests a player's short game. A great course for cheap ($1 at Hole 1 donation box) for those looking for a quick, convenient local workout with less disc loss hazards than the nearby River Road course.
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2 0
nickrockey
Experience: 18 played 18 reviews
4.00 star(s)

What a great course, must play! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 26, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

*Awesome Elevation changes - Be ready for
great hiking (wear shoes with good grip)
*Can play thru pretty quickly with short but
challenging par 3's.
*Great deuce holes all over!
*My first Ace ever here!
*Beautiful, simply beautiful
*Holes are marked and mapped, however
the placement of them is odd
*Pretty clean, I only picked up 1pc. of trash
*I marked 10 holes on my card as really fun
*Hole 12 is 153' almost straight up a hill,
crazy fun!
*Trees, trees, trees, trees, trees, trees!
*Only a couple holes you really have to
drive, a Stratus, a Comet a Buzzz are really
all you need, I recommend packing light
*I will play here as often as I can!

Cons:

-Tee pads are rough and natural
...That's all I have! Great place to throw even with kids!

Other Thoughts:

^Bring Bug Spray, Shoes with good grip
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5 0
apparition
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.1 years 47 played 39 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Short and satisfying 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 5, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

+ Two 9 hole loops
+ Easy to find up the dead end hill street (Arbor)
+ Portapotty, picnic tables, and grills in the shade
+ Easy to navigate without a map
+ Decent basket placement (mostly RHBH-favored)
+ Elevation changes sometimes make up for short holes
+ Trees/fairways are in top shape and provide the minimal amount of challenge for beginners/intermediate players
+ Painted stumps to avoid tripping
+ Great tee signs! Really top notch :)
+ Lots of parking
+ Free
+ Dog friendly (very minimal burrs!)
+ Waste/recycle bins at almost every hole
+ Natural benches at almost every hole
+ Awesome location

Cons:

- Tee signs face weird directions
- Wood chip pile/Christmas tree area with brush/waste dumped smells bad and is unsightly
- Unfortunately, the length of the course needs to be mentioned, even if you aren't expecting a monster layout (we weren't and were happy)
- Welcome sign area is under-utilized with no course layout map or scorecards (still early in the season, though)
- No concrete tees (but this can also be a positive)
- Stumps could be painted blue to contrast with the color of the leaves better

Other Thoughts:

This is the shortest 18-hole course I've played. However, the land itself is utilized to its fullest potential, which is the saving grace and makes it worthy of play at any experience level. The thing to remember is: you're in one of northern Michigan's beautiful coastal towns right down the road from the incredible Tunnel of Trees (and Legs Inn!). Take what you can get and appreciate the secluded oasis this good 18-hole course offers.

That being said, I'll be honest and unbiased: this course will, in all likelihood, be a disappointment to advanced disc golfers who crave flexing their throwing muscles. But even they can appreciate the course! For advanced players, I offer this piece of insight: this is a perfect course for a quick solo round up north (while others shop?) or for the whole family.

Anyone can easily play it in 30-40 minutes solo and get in a decent workout on the hilly terrain. Drivers are unnecessary and most throws will fade rather fast because you won't be able to put snap on the disc without constantly overshooting baskets. This, and the fact that there aren't concrete tees, makes it a great course for practicing upshots. It's especially compatible with beginners as the holes play very calmly without much risk (although 12 and 13 had some risky business going on). Overall, there are only a few opportunities for frustrating roll-aways and those can be avoided by choosing BH/FH accordingly.

By far the best part of this course is the topography - nice hilly elevation changes. Distance issues can be overlooked and a lot of fun can be had throwing over small ravines, up or down gradual slopes, up or down steep slopes, to baskets on hillsides or little gullies, and through some heavily wooded fairways.

Beginners should be able to hit par on most holes without too much difficulty, which should help them enjoy themselves. Advanced players should be able to hit 5 under comfortably, which is always fun.

One thing I want to mention as a humble afterthought, is that hole 10's basket is clearly placed to be beginner/RHBH friendly, but I think that was a mistake (one that could still easily be corrected). The basket should be where 11's tee pad is, so the hole plays to the right reducing the RHBH right-to-left repetition, and to give the two loops a more symbiotic, yin-yang feel.

The last minor thing I want to mention is the oily black awful-smelling mess behind the wood chip/brush pile in the parking lot behind 18's basket. Avoid it. Make your dog avoid it, too. It's only like 8x10 feet, but it needs to be addressed by the city fast.

Worth playing? Definitely.

Thanks for reading! And thanks for putting up the course Harbor Springs!
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1 0
DUrich
Experience: 16.7 years 8 played 8 reviews
2.50 star(s)

I love the Technality 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

I loved the use of the sled hill on 1 and 11. A downhill bomber shot with an elevation drop that really makes it fun. Bring on the trees....technical, technical and more - a previous review mentioned hole 13 - I really liked the risk / reward, but with a solid forehand its another birdie op.

Cons:

Just the fact that there are not any concrete tee pads and it has a shorter layout, but the fact that its a bit established and you get to learn to navigate trees made it a real winner for me.

Other Thoughts:

I liked some of the Tee pad options....something else to consider would be adding multiple pin placements...why not also consider a donation box. Pay back the community for their effort in this sweet venue, or give back to your DG club.
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4 0
Todd Wiley
Experience: 15.1 years 17 played 9 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Definately Worth The Visit 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 16, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

I'll start by mentioning that this is the second visit to this course with my family in tow. This time around, I had a great guide in deBebbler.

The course wasn't perfectly clean, but there was only very small amounts of littering evident. Plenty of trash cans can be found. The regular players obviously care about their local course and keep it clean.

Tee Signage was great. Teeing Areas are easily found.

The front nine and back nine both start at the parking lot and bring you back to the parking lot. This makes a quick 9 holes very easy to play at this course.

While a lot of these holes may seem very short, this course forces you to throw into some tight lines and elevation changes that really add some difficulty.

Basket placements are excellent and in some cases, missing means back downhill! Really makes you buckle down and hit those putts!

Ace Runs are possible on nearly every hole. Especially the "almost" wide open downhill shots on hole 1 and hole 10.

Cons:

Natural Teepads have definate signs of heavy wear and tear. Roots are starting to show, so please watch your step for now. I hear good things are happening to fix the issues this year, hopefully.

This course was definately geared more toward RHBH throwers in general. Very few holes forced you to finish right...

Navigation may be a little tricky if you are a first timer, but the signage is amazing.

Other Thoughts:

I really enjoyed the time I had today, especially when my almost teenage son forgot how to count past 3. Long story...

I absolutely suggest that you should play this course and it is worth traveling to again.
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6 1
fleeulrich
Experience: 15.8 years 53 played 29 reviews
4.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 1, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course is very clean and easy to navigate. The signs at each tee box were some of the best signs I have ever seen. This course was designed very well, utilizing the elevation changes nicely. Holes 1 & 10 will give you the chance for the downhill bomb.

Cons:

No concrete tee pads when I played, making footing problems a possibility. Some more experienced players may not like the number of shorter holes, but the way it was designed using the trees and elevation changes I think gives it a fair level of difficulty making up for the shortness.

Other Thoughts:

Great mix of holes some with clear open fairways, some that have you thread the needle through the trees, some uphill, some, downhill. I believe this course offers a lil something for everyone.
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14 0
deBebbler
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 28.8 years 75 played 34 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Beginner Course Of The First Order 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

Using the grounds an old municipal sledding hill, this course has brilliant elevation for such a small piece of land. All of the land is used, and it has to be. The whole property is 22 acres, and that includes the sledding hill, clubhouse, parking lot, park and brush dump. Rich foliage (especially fall colors) with little traffic make this little course a joy to play.

Two sets of nines each start with a big bomb down one edge of the hill, immediately head into the trees, and you don't come out again until you finish, back at the parking lot.

Front 9 is flatter and has fair ground growth with more pine and mixed leaf trees. Definitely the less challenging set of the two, but each hole is measurably different from the others in what it requires. An old fitness trail winds its way around the holes.

Back 9 is an old stand of trees with a very high ceiling and a clean floor. Keeping track of your disc is easy, if you can follow it pin-balling around off the thick Ironwoods. A steep hill on the back quarter is incorporated into three holes, and another smaller hill in the front quarter is used for the last two holes.

Balanced blend of right/left/straight fairways, and a number of baskets are obscured from the tee. Pristine new signage with digital satellite overheads of the holes. Port-o-john at the top of the hill and dog friendly.

The wind can whip pretty strongly off the bay.

Cons:

This course has the dubious distinction of being the shortest 18 holes in Northern Michigan. The two 400'+ holes are wide-open, big downhill bombs that can be almost putter shots if the wind isn't blowing. Twelve of the holes (two-thirds of the course) are < 200'. However, only three are <150', and 150' of distance plays a little differently when it is 35' uphill.

There are great risk/reward factors on a number of holes, but any experienced amateur will think "pitch-and-putt" during much of the round. I have scored over par only three times (two of those in the dead of winter), and I usually carry just mids and putters with a single driver that gets little non-FH use.

This is Kiwanis Park, and the Club sometimes rents the clubhouse for private functions. It is never "open to the public". Please respect their use of the grounds.

Even though the tow equipment is gone and the hill is no longer "operational", locals still sled on the big hill here, so baskets #1 and 10 are removed for the winter season.

No cement tees, yet.

Other Thoughts:

Being that I am one of the four individuals who designed, built and convinced the city to give us permission/money, I wanted to wait to write my review. This course still has work to be done this year, but I felt ready to talk.

The trade-off of more trees for less distance is evident, but the other option for such a small plot is a long 9-holer. That option would have required clearing a significant amount of trees, and cause the course to take over the land, while now it almost hides in plain sight.

When planning this, we saw a need for a course that was not going to scare off new players. We all had taken new players to other area courses and saw their enthusiasm wane on that 450' hole they took another 6 on, after losing 2 of the 5 discs they own...and one of yours they borrowed.

Crowle is designed for the new player's growth, and an experienced player's practice. Skill, not prayer, will be your salvation on this very woody course. It won't bore you if you don't expect yardage, and it has the kind of elevation fun that the other local course couldn't dream of.

While not may favorite (#17), I really like hole #13, which has a tight fairway along a ridge for about 200'. It bends hard right with a STEEP drop off to the left, and requires a short tight anny for a RHBH thrower. A duffed drive, or hitting one of the many trees will have you down the hill quick, and overthrowing will do the same.

From the 94' par 2, to the 444' par 3, this course offers something up for everyone.
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3 7
Pluister1
Experience: 2 played 1 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Co-Course Designer 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 10, 2010 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Hole #8 should be listed as a Par 2...
I have scored a 47 on the course... Many many birdies, 12 under par is not unreachable...

Cons:

Should have taken a few more trees from 5, 7, 16...

Other Thoughts:

I am very proud to have been a part of the designa nd development of this course. It's very fun!
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