Northville, MI

Cass Benton Hills DGC

3.755(based on 68 reviews)
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7 1
jimjohnmarks
Experience: 12 played 11 reviews
4.00 star(s)

For once, a public course which is a challenge drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 22, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

So many public courses in public parks are 18 links between 200-250 feet with AN tree as an "obstacle". This is a real golf course. I mean, if you're a casual player, you should not be expecting to throw par at every course you go to. In fact, you probably shouldn't expect to come close to par if the course is worth the drive. One the truly monstrous holes there are two tee boxes & if you play all shorts, the course is perfectly reasonable, but still challenging.

Because it is popular, the undergrowth is largely worn away (no poison ivy every time you throw into the rough like some places).

There are bridges over the creek, I didn't see any other standing mud. I mean, #12 is called Swamp Monster, what do you expect if you don't clear the creek? I could see the course being muddy from March until June or so, but what course which isn't in Phoenix isn't muddy in the spring? No amount of directed drainage will fix spring thaw & spring rains. Buy boots or go play in the desert in the spring.

Cons:

This course (like so many around the USA in public parks) is recentlessly right handed player biased. All the hard dog legs go to the left. The fourth link is unplayable as a leftie (if someone came in and maintained the tree limbs it might be). If you honor the bizarre double mando practically inside the putting circle of the sixth link, it is also unplayable as a leftie (but then, a double mando at circle's edge isn't exactly reasonable, regardless). I'm pretty balanced backhand & forehand and these are still unplayable because the flight patterns of a disc FH vs BH are totally different & so a LHFH does not mimic the line of a RHBH.

The once amazing signage is in bad repair. Unfortunately, the signage is needed. In several places you come across the long tee before the short & without a map (there is one on this site which is satellite based & will get it done if a bit vague) you won't know what you're doing. Many baskets are blind, so you can't judge distance or even in exactly what direction you should throw. For example, the double mando on the sixth link: if you don't know it is there, there's no sign to say so, & so you are left wondering why the tee pad doesn't point at the basket. Turns out, the reason is you're expected to be throwing a very gentle hyzering RHBH past all the trees with metal fencing around them so you'll skid up to the circle between the mangos. Which, aside from being impossible left handed, is not at all clear from the top because of the signage.

I realize most people pay for UDisc these days, but for those of us who don't get to play often enough to justify the expense, the signs need updating.

Other Thoughts:

The location of the warm-up basket is odd. It is near a parking area, but it is near the parking between links twelve & thirteen. Links one & eighteen are at the other end of the road. Not a big deal, just odd.
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4 4
foren
Experience: 5 played 4 reviews
2.50 star(s)

May 20 MUD PIT, Stay Away drive by

Reviewed: Played on:May 23, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

Lots of Long holes... gotta be a BEAST Driver to score low.

Multiple Pads per hole, makes it tuneable when playing with mixed talent level.

Probably a great course to play Aug., Sept, Oct.

Cons:

In Spring this place is a MUD pit... literally unwalkable holes, mud pit fairways... are impassible

Other Thoughts:

It'd be an better course, with proper water management, directed drainage.
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4 0
tbonesocrul
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 183 played 21 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Muddy and Hilly 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 11, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Practice Basket
- concrete tee pads with some holes having long tees
- Located in a nice park with trails and playgrounds
- Elevation and trees are used well, the hole shape and lengths are well varied
- Baskets are spray painted red to help them stand out in the shadows
- Recent efforts have been made to keep the teepads drier by adding mulch around them.
- a lot of benches and trashcans throughout the course
- I haven't had any problems with the bug or brush here, not a lot of small plants or groud cover

Cons:

- being one of the free courses in the area you definitely get bigger crowds and more noisy casual players
- lots of graffiti, several holes are missing tee signs or the signs are covered in graffiti so they might as well be missing
- I found the layout to be confusing the first few times I was playing here, there are some arrows that point you in the right direction but I still got lost the first 3 times I played here.
- it is usually pretty muddy in spots, not much you can do about that
- paths often go up and down steep hills which can be slick when wet. Be careful!
- parking lot is bumpy and usually has lots of puddles.

Other Thoughts:

I like coming to this course because I often will go for a run on the paved trail, or across the street in the dirt path. The first hole can be hard to find but is on the north end of the wooded hills east of the practice basket. The wooded fairways have lost a few trees over the years (so I've been told) making them a little sparser than several of the other local wooded courses. Hole 15 is slowly sinking and will probably be buried if no one helps it in the next decade.

This course provides a good challenge to amateur level players but I suspect a open level player could get bored here. All of the long holes are fairly open and the wooded holes all have generous lines. I enjoy playing this course because of some of the really fun holes but am put of by the aesthetic. This is kinda like that SO you know your parents won't approve of but you still date because you love disc golf.
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5 0
MisterJ
Experience: 7.6 years 36 played 22 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Design - Gonna Be Muddy 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 1, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

Aesthetic - Very nice, park setting, rivers, wooded, rolling hills. Not a big fan of the vandalism on the signs, but this is an open free park.

Challenge - Yes, this definitely has challenge. I consider myself more rookie and had a pretty good first round, so maybe not too challenging, but awesome long runs, water wasn't really water hazards like a lake or pond to lose a disc in. I liked that the course was planned, and if you found your line, you can play it, unlike some courses with random trees everywhere, that is challenge.

TeePads/Baskets- Teepads concrete, 2 per most holes, baskets were great, kinda funny on the low lying areas where you can tell they probably stood taller but now the flooding of the area made them only about 6 inches off the ground, but they are fine.

Signage - Reasonable amount of signs for a complex course to navigate for first timers like me. If you use just the signs and print no maps you will probably get a bit lost, but will eventually find your hole, but you'll wander a bit that's for sure. Graffiti on some of the nicer signs spoils the mood of this woody area. Ssome signs have name of hole, #, distance, picture of hole, everything, sometimes there are markers at basket telling where to go next.

Variety - In Michigan, there isn't much more you can ask for, except for less mud (or more water holes if you're into that sorta thing). Mombo long run with few trees to get that long throw, tight technical shots, uphill long, downhill short, forehand, backhand, S shots. It's a good course. Somebody really thought about this course, the stood at each of the pads, and said tree here and here, not here, let them have a clear line here and there. I like the less randomness. Well planned.

Fun - Depends on who you are. Don't bring your non-die-hard spouse to this one. Not because of the challenge, because of the challenge and the wet/slippery/mud. But shoot even when she headed back to the car, I still had a blast and kept going, it was great... but it wasn't as good as if she stayed and played, always better to share.

Locatability - Finding the park, parking, no problem. There are lots of maps,

Maintained/Bugs - I went at end of March early April. Grass had just turned back to green (from dried out winter), not a bug in the air. Not sure if the bugs get bad later in the year though. I've read about downed trees in other reviews, but comparatively speaking to other wooded courses, and yes there are a lot down here, but for the most part, they weren't in the way at all. At this point in year, I thought maintenance was great, almost no leaves, short grass, so none of that super nasty thick grass off the fairway like some courses. Only thing, it gets wet.

Cons:

Congestion - In this area of Wayne County, there isn't a lot of good courses, so Cass Benton being really good shines super bright. It would be congested because of how well-designed it is no matter what, but being since this is about the only place without driving really far, it is congested

Other Thoughts:

Whats holding it back from higher rating - I don't think this course can get a better rating, its locked in Michigan, in Hines, so flooding/mudding.

Kid Friendly - I think kids may have fun for a while, mine were fine. But, this is a long course, and they may not make it for the long haul because this is a long course. I'd say this isn't the best course for kids, but this is Hines Park, and assuming you don't mind leaving the course when they get tired/bored, there are other things to do here.

Older/Less Active Player Friendly - No way, I'm active, not the best shape, and with the hills here, I missed a putt because I was out of breath going up a hill after my drive.

Rookie/Average Friendly - Yes, lots of challenge and things to work on here, definitely something to look to. Tons of fun for you and your buds.

Pro Player Friendly - For sure, here is a place you can test your skills. One of very few courses in SE Michigan you can get a change to drive nearing 800 feet out in the open. Plus with some tight technical shots, should be very enjoyable as long as you bring your old pair of shoes.
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6 0
torihanus
Experience: 9 years 37 played 16 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 12, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

1.) Course is located in Hines Park in Northville. This park is not only home to a disc golf course, but there are also running/walking trails, mountain biking, lakes, playgrounds for children, etc. This course can bring a wide variety of people. I personally like this, because I can do more than one activity while being at one destination.

2.) Terrain and elevation varies throughout this course. Several holes are located in wooded areas. I would say all of the holes have trees on the fairways. A challenging course, but you're also not frustrated at the end of your round.

3.) In addition, you are not going to be pitching and putting on this course. I used every disc, besides one, in my bag. This course forces you to make some critical decisions, and I enjoy that about a course.

4.) Players have the option of throwing at the pro or rec tees.

5.) Tee pads are concrete.

6.) Baskets are cemented in, and they are also double-chained. Chains grip nicely to your disc.

7.) Trash bins at almost every hole. Picnic tables are also available at several holes.

8.) Course is also free to play, which is rare when you're playing in a county/metro park!

Cons:

1.) Navigation is a slight downfall. If you don't have someone that is familiar with the course, chances are you will get lost. There are some moderate hikes between holes (not a con in my book, but it is when you don't know where you are going). Make sure you have a map with you. I recommend "next tee" signs to help guide people throughout the course, since there really isn't a nice "flow."

2.) Signage. When I did see a sign, it had the basics: hole number, par number, feet, a map of where the tee and basket is (which is exactly what I want to see when I see a sign) However, many of the holes did not have a sign.

3.) Personally, I would like the baskets to stick out more, especially when several holes are in a heavily wooded area. Even though I had my boyfriend to help me find the baskets, there were many times I couldn't see it.

4.) Park gets crowded VERY QUICKLY! My boyfriend and I got to the park at 9:30 this morning. There were already a few groups out when we got there. By the time we left at 11, there were more than dozen groups playing. If you don't want to wait, the best time to come and play is early in the morning.

Other Thoughts:

I thoroughly enjoyed playing this course, and it makes it better that it is only a 15-20 minute drive from my house! One of the better courses I have played in this area.

I also noticed that a couple baskets were designed to be very low to the ground (especially hole 15, the huge bomber down the hill). Does anyone know why designers put these baskets that low? I don't mind; I'm more curious if anything.
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4 2
mball1684
Experience: 27 years 29 played 6 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Always fun @ Cass! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 3, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Good array of types of holes
- Free
- ample parking
- nice park setting
- challenging but not too easy
- beautiful scenic layout

Cons:

- can get muddy & boggy, but what course doesn't?
- signs are graffitied up or missing
- a few of the tee pads are cracked
- lots of fallen trees, this has changed the course alot through the years
- a few baskets are getting in disrepair.

Other Thoughts:

Name a shot you need in disc golf and this course will challenge you with it. Weather it be from the shorts OR the longs Cass will honor the tried and true "risk-vs-reward" mantra of DG. Beautiful side hill lies and top of the world tees will be sure to heighten the enjoyment of the course. With a nice variety of holes wooded verses open you get the full Michigan DG experience for free and located in a nice park.
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2 9
qball027
Experience: 8.8 years 5 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Recommended 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 31, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Good variety of holes and provides a good challenge.
Some very fun hole such as #3 and #16.

Cons:

Graffiti and missing signs.

Other Thoughts:

Still a very good course despite the graffiti and missing signs. I would highly recommend this course.
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5 1
reichmusic
Experience: 9.8 years 13 played 10 reviews
3.00 star(s)

CassReview 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 30, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

-great variety of distances
-great variety of shot shapes
-forces you to bh,fh, thumbers etc
--good paths
-cleared woods for errant throws
-concrete pads
-nice shade for hot summer days
-makes good use of ample elevation
- two sets of tee

Cons:

-due to pathetic local jerks, there are some missing signs, graffiti, some trash.
-I went early in the morning and had the place to myself, saw a lot of people exercising, running , biking, etc- hopefully the park usage with positive people, will keep the bad apples out.
-unmarked tee pads, which is long/short?
- very confusing around hole 14-16, I think we shot at the wrong basket, and then got off somehow, but our safari golf ended up ok

Other Thoughts:

This could be a five star course with some tender love and care.
I understand there may be a problem with low life vandals, so it's not worth making new signs, but you may try do other methods of marking. Mark each basket with colored tape yellow/white to give the direction of the next tee pad.
Mark each tee pad with a little colored paint to tell you what pad you are on with the corresponding hole number. (You may even add a yardage, par, and a basket shot shape to where the target basket will be.). Vandals can only paint over it, which you can repaint. 99 cents per can. These two additions would help tremendously.

The udisc app helped with the mapping.

Huge potential course, wish it was my home course, I'd spend everyday making improvements.
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8 0
zetterbeard
Experience: 7 played 7 reviews
4.00 star(s)

good course, could be great 2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

-Great variety of holes, ranging from long and open, long and wooded, short and wooded, short and open, and everything in between. If you play this course from the long tees, which I always did and I HIGHLY suggest you do too, this course offers some incredible variety that will require you to throw long and accurately.

-Great difficulty from the long tees. Unless you have a cannon surgically attached to your arm, good luck getting a birdie let alone par on 2 and 16. Lots of holes have steep dropoffs next to the basket, so plan your putts and approaches carefully!

-Some of my favorite holes are on this course. Granted, I've played it more than any other course, but some holes, such as 3 and 5, are awesome. Throwing off the top of the hill on 3 is really fun. Watch out for the wind!

-If you're wanting to get a quick round in, you can easily play 1-12 and walk back to your car. 13-18 are pretty good, but 1-12 will give you a good variety of holes. Especially if you're playing the long tees, holes 1-12 are about 4,000 ft, which is longer than some entire courses.

-Both long and short tees have nice, long concrete pads.

Cons:

-The biggest con for this course is sadly the other people that seem to congregate here. Watch out for "cassholes." For some reason, this course attracts a certain kind of person who has no problem trashing the course, spray painting hole signs, breaking trees, or straight up removing signs from the hole.

-Which leads me into another con, if you haven't played this before, I can see it being difficult to navigate. Do yourself a favor and print off or save the map image to your phone so you can navigate it easier.

-I guess this goes for all wooded courses, but if you get off the fairway, you may have a hard time either finding your disc or having a decent line. This is especially true for 13-15 or so, some of the holes are heavily wooded and you can easily lose a disc in plain sight. I've seen it happen sadly.

-This course can get very, VERY busy. Plan your play time accordingly. Come (if you can) when people are working or in the morning, like 8-11 am.

Other Thoughts:

-I say that this course could be great because of how it's maintained and the people that come there. If it charged even like $1-2, that would scare away a lot of the people who loiter at the course and trash and/or damage it.

-For several years, this course was my "home course." I've probably played it 40-50 times. I haven't played it in awhile, but I always make a point to when I'm back in town.

-If you got the arm or are an intermediate+ disc golfer, PLAY THE LONG TEES!!! Seriously. It's so much better and awesome.

-If you park in the parking lot off of Hines Drive, hole 1 starts near the end (east side) of the parking lot. Follow the walking path and look for a dirt path that will enter the woods which should put you at the long tee for hole 1.

-First timers might want to print off the map or put it on your phone. Several holes have no signage or may be difficult figuring out where to go.

-Is this course worth driving 1-2 hours for? Eh, that's debatable. But if you find yourself within 30 miles of it, I'd recommend checking it out.
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4 5
Zinc_Alloy
Experience: 25.5 years 5 played 5 reviews
2.00 star(s)

First time cass 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 1, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

Proper length concrete pads. Respectable looking baskets. 18 holes. Picking, throwing and holding lines is at a premium as is the ability to throw any shot from pad to pad. Nice elevation changes and some tough side hill lies from the fairways. Hitting the fairways and at the best angle is key on the longer holes.

Cons:

Very narrow windows to hit from off the tee. Holes are difficult to locate and signs are missing. A lot of short holes(200 and under).

Other Thoughts:

I want to like this course but cant get over the gimmicky feel to it. Most of the holes are rocs or buzzzs and then hope to not hit a wall of trees directly in your path to the basket. I did find the longer holes(open field throws, basically) to be somewhat challenging especially when faced with a severe sidehill lie with an approach around 300ish. A lack of medium range holes is its biggest drawback. I would not drive a long distance to play this course, id go to kenningston instead.
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4 2
Moose33
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 12.2 years 203 played 201 reviews
3.00 star(s)

The Good, the Bad and the Weird 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 7, 2014 Played the course:once

Pros:

Starts out the a challenging shot through the woods and then opens up into some very cool open holes on 2 and the signature hole #3.

Three is a very fun 600 or so ft drive down a large hill and then you end up Ina basket by a very pretty creek.

It varies between short heavily wooded holes and longer more open ones with some challenging lines and elevation changes.

There is potential here for a 4 or better rated course.

Cons:

Unfortunately there are some significant things holding it back. Most of the signs are vandalized or stolen.

You can't find the first teepad without a guide, and when I got there there was a shady guy selling discs with other peoples ink on them, and a few guys sitting around smoking.

There are fallen trees everywhere and the fairways are generally poorly maintained.

A lot of people in a few places just hanging around, a lot of them doing things that shouldn't be done on a course, in public, or at all really.

Other Thoughts:

I liked the course, I didn't like how crowded it was with non players and the massive amount of vandalism that goes on.

This should be a top rated course but the aesthetic hold it back.
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7 3
CassBenton
Experience: 18.8 years 1 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Great Bones 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 10, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great elevation and diversity. Tight trees and wide open fields. Some really long holes and plenty of ace looks. Benches at almost every hole. I got my first ace here!

Cons:

It's free. Sounds like a positive except for all the casuals and almost complete lack of upkeep this causes. Lots of downed trees especially on holes 9 and 10. Most of the signs have been stolen, if they're still there they are covered in crappy graffiti (tags not art). A lot of holes get torn up and muddy early in the season, and never have a chance to recover. Very busy in the warmer months.

Other Thoughts:

This is my home course, started playing it almost a decade ago. It's gotten progressively worse as the years go by. Its got some of the best geography/topography of any course in SE Michigan, and some truly classic holes. Really wish it was pay-to-play. Still a great course and I play it all the time.
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5 0
donnyv
Experience: 26.8 years 45 played 14 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Wish I played here back in the day 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 1, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Cass Benton has a fairly decent sized area for the disc golf course. I can imagine it was one of the best in the state when it first opened. There are many distinct holes on the course and it never became boring or frustrating. The terrain is perfect for a disc golf course. I was only able to play this gem once a few years back and wish I could play it more.

While we had a blast that day, you could tell that this place had seen better days. For some reason (budget?) this course has seemingly been forgotten by the park. Maybe it's lacking a dedicated club? The course needs some work to get it back into its prime.

Below are a few things that are worth mentioning...

PROS:

Length/Variety/Challenge - Plenty of chances to open it up on a few, while also containing some technical holes to balance it out. Elevation and water came into play on a handful of holes. Even though I played horrible in the front, I came back around on the back 9 and enjoyed the challenge of the entire course. The concrete tees and baskets were in good shape.

Dedicated Space to Disc Golf - Didn't have to worry about joggers, walkers or picnickers strolling through the area. The park is big and a good chunk of it is dedicated to the disc golf course. The course does play near a sledding hill but doesn't seem too bad.

Free - No charge to enter the park and no fee to play disc golf. Being that it is free, it can become quite crowded, which can be a con. There are also many other things to do in the park for non-dgers.

Cons:

CONS:

Used and Abused - There is definite signs of wear on the course. With all the traffic the course gets, there were numerous worn out paths of bare dirt and damaged trees from discs. Every tee sign was damaged and/or had graffiti on them. Trash cans were overfull and some were dumped over. Not cool.

Upkeep - There were downed trees in multiple areas on the course. From the looks of it they have been there for a while. I'm not sure why the parks dept wouldn't cut them up. Some areas didn't look very safe but we played on anyways. The grass was a little taller than we'd like but it wasn't as bad as waist-deep Riverbends back home.

Crowds - Finding the course inside the park was a little tough the first time we stopped there. The place was packed and parking was sorta sketchy. Being a free course, it brings dger's from all over the place. We were lucky to find a parking spot. It might be a problem on busier days. At least we didn't run into any rude people.

Tourneys - As far as I know, there is little to no tournament play at Cass. It is large enough to hold a good tournament but I don't know if it's because of the red-tape or just because it's in a trashed state.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, we had a good time at Cass Benton. It would be great to see it in its glory someday. I'd give it a 3.75 in its current condition, but I see the potential for it to climb as high as 4.25 if it could be cleaned up some. It's still worth playing and you'll probably have a nice round if you can get out there during the off-peak hrs. Give it a try sometime and I'm sure you'll see that there IS potential for it to get back on track.
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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)

Spray paint and sequins... 2+ years

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

Pros:

Aesthetic-- plays through a LARGE metro park type park in the suburbs of detroit. park is free to play (huge plus) but may also be a big reason for the dilapidation of this course.

Teepads-- good and in nice repair. adequate length concrete pads

Routing and nav-- not overly hard... the hill with 14-17 is a big cluster eff and a little harder to route on. Next Tee signs are somewhat helpful.

Baskets-- in reasonable shape. many have been spray painted RED facing the teepad? Not sure why, this doesn't really increase visibility at all, it may hurt some actually.

Variety and Challenge-- abound here... there is so much variety here... Length of the long tees is great and it is wonderful to mix long shots to air your arm out with the occasional short technical holes to bring you back to earth.

Elevation-- used effectively where there is elevation. some of the walk-ups are pretty brutal and slick after rains..

Cons:

Vandalism-- ugh, it's awful here. EVERY sign that was actually still there was spray painted and/or covered in stickers and impossible to read. Even the trees weren't safe, many of the trees are COVERED in spraypaint. I don't get the desperation of people to spray paint trees.

Storm damage-- still evident. Bird's Bane is BRUTAL with downed trees but made the hole a bit more fun...

Baskets-- although the baskets are in good repair, many of them are mounted in little slabs of flat concrete making them ridiculously easy to steal. I have never seen baskets mounted this way. I always assumed that they were mounted in a deep hole with concrete tubes? #2 could slide down the hole at any time...

Other Thoughts:

This was my #150 course. I had a good time, certainly the best course of the day but this course needs some serious TLC. I'm not sure if it's locale or what the issue is but the vandalism is out of control here...
Somehow, it needs to be reigned in.
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1 3
jswoods1984
Experience: 23 years 75 played 5 reviews
3.00 star(s)

eh, not what they make it out to be 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 7, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Nice variety of holes, some technical and some open. Get opportunites for the shorties as well as the bombers.

Cons:

Lots of trees down, very busy, a lot of punk kids running around backing things up. Not the place to be if you want a relaxing round or don't like dealing with idiots.
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3 1
Trizzor
Experience: 10.7 years 29 played 9 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Like playing with an endangered animal. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jul 27, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

• Amazing diversity here, so fun and so much variety.
• Well thought out holes, not your typical wooded hook to the left/right.
• Free - Also a Con; I lived within 4 miles of this course for almost 20 years and never knew it was there.

Cons:

• Japanese Giant Hornets... Have burrows at a few holes, careful where you walk!
• The course is in terrible shape; mostly due to teens tearing it apart. Broken baskets, trash and glass everywhere. No respect for nature or the game.
• Free - Also a Pro; I wish it were pay-to-play. To deter teens that use it as a hang-out and keep maintenance up.
• Extremely busy after noon to evening.

Other Thoughts:

I titled the review "Like playing with an endangered animal" because I feel one of these days the course will be closed from the vandalism without warning. At that point, it will be extinct.

EDIT: I went back to Cass recently.
If this course was pay-to-play, it would be a 5. Its that fun, but its also in that bad of shape.
I just wish I could have played here before it went bad.
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10 0
apparition
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 13.1 years 47 played 39 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Delinquents are the plague of this great course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 6, 2013 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

+ Great variety of hole lengths
+ Spectacular elevation changes for this part of MI
+ Minimal perceived favoritism for RHBH
+ Tees (Am/Pro) and baskets were in good shape
+ Mostly level tees even on hills
+ A bunch of memorable holes
+ Challenging blind/nearly-blind pin placement
+ Attempts have been made to preserve the trees
+ Some benches and trash cans
+ Defined fairways with appropriately rough edges

Cons:

- Very busy with dg'ers and delinquent non-dg'ers without any sense of etiquette or even politeness
- Course layout is a little awkward in the middle
- Bordering fairways/tees of 9-11 slow the flow of play
- Erosion = mainly dirt fairways in the woods and plenty of downed trees
- Vandalism... one of the dirtiest, most vandalized courses I've played
- Tee signs were almost all obscured with vandalism, which sucks because there are so many blind holes
- No layout signage, bring a smartphone or map
- Plays near/through a park at hole 12 to tee 13, which lead to two interactions with picnickers annoyed with disc golf (picnicking less than 20 feet from 12's basket)

Other Thoughts:

The location is great, the use of elevation and grounds is excellent, and the overall fun factor is very high. However, the park's popularity is definitely the disc golf course's biggest pitfall and as much as I'd like to give this course a higher rating, in its current condition it just can't be. The condition of the course with its erosion, vandalism, graffiti, non-disc golfing socializing visitors, and somewhat awkward layout are what brought my rating down.

I really enjoyed the disc golf at Cass Benton Hills. Seriously. A LOT of fun was had throwing here despite all the other negatives. The elevation changes are spectacular and the hilly hole layouts were designed to maximize the fun factor of the course. Throwing downhill, uphill, on the banks of the hills, and through few relatively flat wooded holes made for excellent variety. The moderately wooded holes complemented the lush green grassy ones nicely. The downhill and open fairway bombs shine and stand out most with their tough par 3 lengths, especially with sparse trees in all the right spots (challenging for both RHBH/RHFH). I have distinctly good memories of holes 3, 5, 8, and 13-18 :) #15's downhill ace run was also really fun!

Like I said before, the course's popularity is definitely its biggest pitfall. Second biggest pitfall would be its sometimes-awkward layout. Like with most disc golf courses, a couple of transitions were awkward for first and second-timers (1-2, 9-11, 13-14). Unfortunately these two pitfalls create a perfect storm right in the middle of the course at hole 9, 10, 11 that really stuck out as bothersome in our experience at the course. The fairways/tees of holes 9, 10, and 11 are blurred and although they never cross, they are so close that they can't accommodate so many groups of inexperienced throwers. This is where we encountered the most groups and it's also the most tree-covered portion of the course (go figure)... There was a group (or two or three) on every single tee on the day we visited and discs were flying near us regularly. And although this horse has been beaten to death, not only does the popularity of the course show in the erosion of the fairways and damage on the trees, but the litter and vandalism were awful. I don't think a single tee sign was readable and very few surfaces were graffiti-free.

If the downed trees and litter were taken care of, the tee signs replaced, and non-disc golfing delinquents stopped from entering this park, it could be a 4.5 rated course in my opinion. Even with the eroded and sometimes cramped fairways.

To be honest, and this probably wouldn't be a popular opinion, what would really bring me back to Cass Benton would be if the park became pay to play and they spruced it up a bit. This coming from someone who lives two hours away. I doubt locals would dig it much. Disc golf becoming pay to play is definitely taboo, but I don't think anyone could really debate what those dollars could do for the upkeep and preservation of this course.

Thanks for reading!
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2 1
PwEmc
Experience: 2 played 1 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Cass Benton 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Feb 26, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Pretty nice course layout with some challenging holes and not much repetition.

Course is split into wide open holes and wooded very nicely.

Cons:

Maintenance is absolutely awful. Fallen trees stay where they've fallen, regardless of where they are. Plenty of trees fallen right on the path.

Navigating the fallen tree jungle on hole 9 is depressing.

The amount of graffiti/hoodlum teens is pretty high since this is in an urban area and the course is free.

Absolutely packed in the summer. Prepare to wait for the group of ten 16 year olds to all take their 6 shots to the basket.
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1 4
preludedrew
Experience: 16.8 years 82 played 43 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Cass Benton 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 16, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Great Challenge for new and advanced players alike. Mix of long hiking hills and woods. Some fantastic long shots and elevation changes.

Cons:

Can be a hike for some. Not too many complaints.

Other Thoughts:

A great challenge course, will make you a better player.
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2 0
MrDiscinox
Experience: 17.2 years 49 played 6 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Fun, challenging course... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 18, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Excellent mix of shots. More than a couple bombs (400+) from the Pro tees with a good mix of technical holes.
- Locals are often selling discs, possible food and drinks
- Gets very busy but course design usually allows for good flow with minimal backups
- Lots of shade and sitting areas and trash cans everywhere
- Generally minimal litter despite the amount of people that play there... Depends on the day really.

Cons:

- Can get ridiculously busy. Sits in the middle of a lot of courses and areas where there are a lot of golfers. Summer evenings will find every parking lot full.
- Signage is old and vandalized

Other Thoughts:

One of my favorite courses. The huge 700+ bomb off the top of hill on #3 is awesome. This is the place where I learned how to disc golf. Fun to just come out with some beers and party golf all day.
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