Grand Rapids, MI

Calvin College

1.175(based on 6 reviews)
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7 0
The Valkyrie Kid
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Experience: 45.9 years 1563 played 1507 reviews
1.50 star(s)

(I Went From Flip City) To Calvin College! 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 24, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

I played up at Flip City Wednesday night and then played Calvin College DGC early the next morning. Yes, you might say, I went from the Penthouse to the Outhouse!

The Calvin College Course (from here on referred to as CCC) starts by the Bunker Interpretive Center. There is no course sign, neither are there any tee pads. Just tee off next to the tee sign. The small metal tee sign sit atop a small post, one sign is missing and the other eight are bent and multilated. They have a hole number, distance and an arrow pointing towards the basket. They also have direction (N, S, E, W). which would be useful if you were lost in Manitoba. Probably not needed here at CCC.

Hole 1 is 253' throwing over a parking lot. # 2 is 360' throwing southeast. # 3 is 233' to a basket near some tree. #4 is just a silly hole. It's 469' across paths, parking lots and wetland areas. Not a great design. # 5 is 364' over another parking lot. #6 sign is down in a low area. You're throwing blind up the hill but the basket is a big dog leg left. But you're playing on some of the most nicely mowed grass you've ever seen. It's cut very short, almost like a golf green. # 7. (No sign) is an estimated 350' to a basket which is hidden just over a small hill. There are apartments down the hill on the left and it would be easy to hyser your discs down into these apartments and their play areas. It's at this point on the CCC that The Valkyrie Kid has initiated a radical course redesign. See Other Thoughts for this exciting news break.

Cons:

There are a few.

Terrible design.

Safety concerns throughout.

No tee pads.

1/2 mile walk back to car after # 9.

Tiny, thin metal signs are taking a licking.

Other Thoughts:

After playing # 7, I couldn't locate the # 8 sign. But there is a little community garden here with a small pagoda like building. To the left of this little building is a basket sitting down this small hill about 175'. It makes for cool little downhill Ace Run. With The Valkyrie Kid Redesign, this is the new and improved # 8. After playing this hole, walk back up the hill to the little pagoda. Now, straight out the front you'll see a basket set in pretty little valley with trees on both sides. Standing the pagoda, you'll need to throw over a walking path and hopefully out onto the lawn. It's probably 280' and would be a hole that Bill would be glad to add to his course up at Flip City. So there you have the newly implemented Valkyrie Kid redesign. My rating for CCC before my redesign =1.5. After the redesign = 4.0.

😢 Walking distance back to # 1 before Valkyrie Kid redesign = 1/2 mile.

😂 Walking distance back to # 1 after Valkyrie Kid's redesign = 1/2 mile.
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2 3
freed
Experience: 16.7 years 15 played 1 reviews
1.00 star(s)

not a fan 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 27, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

nice and clean looking.

Cons:

you end up like a half a mile away from where you parked if you park at hole one.

Other Thoughts:

just was't fun. you could tell it was designed by someone who hadnt played a game of disc in their life.
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1 6
markdh92
Experience: 4 played 3 reviews
2.00 star(s)

Calvin DG Review 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 28, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

It's a decent course for a college campus. Baskets, tee-off areas have posts with distance. Distance varies and a number of different shots required.

Cons:

An errant throw could result in a disc on top of a building or hitting a vehicle. People are sometimes also in the way due to walkways, etc.

Other Thoughts:

It's a decent course for a college campus. Although the course is close to buildings, walkways, parking lots, if you play it close to dusk there aren't many people walking around and you can play the course without much problem.
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11 0
apdrvya
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 13.9 years 350 played 293 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Confusing and full of stinging nettles... 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 13, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Baskets---Brand New powder coated DGA's GRIPPY AS HELL...

Cons:

NAVIGATION---nightmarish to say the least... hole one is fairly straightfoward, throw it over the parking lot to the basket at the top of the hill. the second hole, where it seems you should be able to throw across the field, because thats where the visible basket is, throws along a tree line far to the left then the tee sign (which is in the flight path for 2) throws to the one that should be the basket for two. Tee four throws past the afformentioned ugly sculpture thing and across a path around a pond and at the bottom of a "basin." Lining the left side is a butt-ton of stining nettles, grapevine and other things that make finding a lost disc IMPOSSIBLE. the next hole throws over a huge parking lot...dangerous and stupid... the next hole you have to literally throw over a hillside COVERED IN STINGING NETTLES where even an evident errant disc is lost forever, and so on and so forth.

Tee signs- lists hole length and which direction (by compass) you should throw???? seriously, we'd be better with nothing.

Teepads-Grass, rutty, uneven grass, ankle turns are inevitable

Safety- one of the most dangerous courses to throw on in the area.. .throwing over busy walk ways and parking lots = not safe or fun at all.

Linear design--so a nine hole course which does not travel in a loop traverses half a mile across a college campus, so, when you're done, you walk a half mile back to your car.

Other Thoughts:

This was absolutely a waste of my time and two discs. I lost two discs in fairly evident places becase the rough is just that friggin rough. I searched for about two hours combined and came out with nothing more than a ton of stinging nettles welts...

Save your time, throw your discs in the river at riverside, you'll have more fun.
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10 0
Star Destraayer
Experience: 23.8 years 113 played 10 reviews
1.00 star(s)

A Waste of Baskets 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 3, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Mach V baskets greet you in clean and simple portion of campus near the Prince Conference Center. The location of the course puts it close to downtown and many other main arteries on the eastside of Grand Rapids. Some surprising long holes found here with three over 300' and one over 400'. The majority of the course plays straight and hilly with half of the holes being simple and other half being crazy.

Cons:

An obviously bad design. The majority of the course plays much to close to paths, roads, parking lots, and other highly breakable, yet expensive objects; not to mention the campus populous. Tee offs sit much to close to the previous hole's basket with only a meager sign to mark the spot. The course plays in sort of a straight line, thus making the player walk a good ways back to the start. A grim future faces many of the holes here since a redesign is a must for the course to have any redeeming chance.

Other Thoughts:

If you are a student: play the course while it lasts, but be careful, since it will only be a matter of time before you hit someone or something else unintentional.

If you are a local discer: play it once to satisfy any curiosity you may have and never play it again. Luckily, it plays quick (30mins)

If you are an out-of-town discer: skip it. If a campus course is what you desire, play Cornerstones instead.
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9 0
MDeezy
Experience: 20.8 years 132 played 13 reviews
1.00 star(s)

Dangerous! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 3, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Many of the shots average 300'. Hole 2 and 3 are nice and open. Many shots require aim and an arm to avoid danger, and provide a good challenge. Great addition on any college campus.

Cons:

Many of the holes play too close to buildings, parking lots, roads, and pedestrian walkways. It is only a matter of time before someone gets hit by a disc, a window gets broken, or a vehicle gets damaged. Hole 1 shoots over a cement parking lot. Hole 4 plays too close to a building and a substandard sculpture. The sculpture is made out of thin wood and is going to be damaged by errant shots. Hole 5 shoots over a road, a parking lot, and a walking path. On the tee pad much of the shot is blind being downhill, which makes it hard to see cars and people. The basket on 5 is about 5 feet from the walking path and seems dangerous overall. Hole 6 shoots blind uphill onto another playing field. Hole 7 starts with a very steep hill to the left, and apartments at the bottom of the hill. A RHBH not played carefully will put you in a fenced in playground, or hitting the apartment buildings. Hole 8 shoots downhill over a pedestrian walkway, and then follows along another apartment building with the basket 20 feet from someones back slider. Hole 9 is a dangerous blind shot over walkways, a common area/fountain, and again plays near an apartment building.

Other Thoughts:

Luckily I played this course when there wasn't too many people, cars, and all my shots stayed on track. I don't see this layout lasting without changes or strict rules. Please play this course carefully to avoid damaging property, or injuring people.
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