Scottville, MI

The Edge DGC

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3.145(based on 7 reviews)
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13 0
DFrah
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 5.8 years 227 played 225 reviews
2.50 star(s)

"The Edge" of what?

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 28, 2022 Played the course:once

Pros:

The Edge DGC can be found an easy 15 minute drive east of Ludington, MI. This 24-holer plays in the back of a combination park/campground, but stays so far away from those other amenities that you will only see them on the way to/from the course in your vehicle.

This course plays through two distinct environments. Holes 4-15 are cut through a relatively young forested area. These holes are mostly on the short side - only two longer than 270', and eight shorter than 210' - but are quite technical with thick rough off the fairways. If your tee shot doesn't land in the fairway, it will be tough to make par. In stark contrast to this environment, holes 1-3 and 16-24 are located in a much more open area and appear to be mowed out of huge bushes and stalks of grass. The fairways in this area of the course are often very wide and also much longer, with several of them eclipsing 400' (I feel that a couple of holes should be signed as par 4). The bushes/grass off to the side are thick on the ground and generally about 5'-10' tall, so you have to aim a bit upwards if you choose to bomb drives over them and (hopefully) watch your disc fade back into the fairway. You'll definitely want to keep an eye on your drives throughout your round here - and expect to take extra strokes just getting back to the fairway when needed. Overall, the variety and distances make for a round of disc golf that will challenge players up to an intermediate level or so.

The baskets are Chainstars in fine shape. One per hole.

There are a few trash cans and benches scattered throughout the course.

Cons:

As others have noted, the tee pads here (one per hole) are not good. They are smallish rubber mats that could definitely be slippery when wet. I didn't have any trouble playing on a dry day, and to be fair there are brushes at many tees to wipe them off - but I'm not sure if that would really solve the problem. I feel like I read somewhere that it may not be possible to pour concrete in this environment for whatever reason - but nevertheless, still a Con.

The signage is meh. The tee signs are the same "Ludington style" signs I have described in reviews of other local courses - carved wood posts with the hole number and distance plus some artistic touches, but no information on the actual layout of the hole or par. I also could not find a course map to refer to, so I walked up many fairways to locate baskets. Navigational signage is usually present where needed (same style as tee signs), but there were a couple of places where I could have used a few more arrows.

No practice basket, porta potty, or kiosk. There was a mailbox for scorecards at the first tee, but it was empty.

What does "The Edge" refer to? It's definitely not any kind of elevation change - the course is almost perfectly flat throughout. It's not the edge of the river - that is nearby but not visible from anywhere on the course. The only "edge" I could think of was the "edge" of the wooded area, where it gives way to the more open area.

A couple of the open holes have almost nothing between the tee and basket except for 300'-500' of grass.

This course is probably waterlogged to the point of being unplayable in the spring - or even after a heavy rain. I think that it's possible to visit and have "water" in play on three or four holes, but it was all dried up when I played. The most "memorable" hole for me was probably #3, but that was only because my tee shot landed in a low-lying area with thick cattails that I had not seen or accounted for from the tee - then I found my disc, thanked the dry weather, and proceeded to make about a 30' throw in from the middle of the cattails for birdie.

In the summer, this one could also be very buggy. The bugs were just starting to swarm at the time of my visit (late June).

Other Thoughts:

This course is a little bit tricky to find. Once in the park, drive straight back past the campground office and through the campground itself. You're getting close once you pass the "Western Michigan Old Engine Club" sign on your right. When you see a "Feel free to spin your disc, but not your tires" sign, continue over the small ridge and down into the flat field to park.

The Edge costs $1/day to play, payable in a box at the first tee. In theory, this same dollar also allows for unlimited play at Leviathan and the three Mason County Park courses on the same day.

Unlike the other Ludington area courses, I wasn't impressed enough here to be able to partially ignore the poor signage (and in this case, the poor tee pads). Overall, I feel that this is clearly the weakest of all the options in the area - and should therefore be last on the list for visitors. This could be a common view among the locals too, as I had the course completely to myself on a Tuesday evening from the moment I arrived to the moment I left. The only thing this course really has that can't be found elsewhere in the area is the unique flora off some of the fairways.

All this isn't to say that The Edge is an awful course by any means - I enjoyed my round here. It's just hard to recommend this one with so many superior options close by.
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14 0
davetherocketguy
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 19.7 years 114 played 105 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Not Real Edgy 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 6, 2020 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Sprawling 24 hole course in the back side of a campground.
- Somewhat well signed. The tees are typically close to the previous baskets so no "Next Tee" signs are really needed. As a result, the flow from one hole to the next was not bad.
- Chainstar baskets all seem to be in decent shape.
- Really appreciated all the benches at most of the tees.
- 1 through 15 are a nice set of holes that can be a real confidence booster with their rather short nature. Many of these holes are very deuce-able for most Ams.
- The longer holes of 16 through 24 are kind of nice as a place to really get your bomb out. However, straying off the fairway in these tall bushes is highly unrecommended.

Cons:

- The rough in super duper rough in a lot of spots. For example, the left side of #8 is just stupid thick.
- Didn't care for the shed/guardshack or whatever the heck that building is on #2. Not a fan of manmade structures in the middle of fairways.
- The tee pads are unholy abominations to disc golf. These should never EVER be used. EVER. These are stupid slick rubber mats. Why anyone would think these are good for this use is beyond me. Tee off anywhere else other than the tees. Your welcome.
- Unlike other Mason County courses this place has very very little to offer in elevation change. The entire course is just super flat - but this might be a good thing for some folks.

Other Thoughts:

This is the kind of course you can go to in Mason County to take a break from the other area courses. Much of the 1 through 15 holes strike me as a flatter version of Madeline Bertrand in Niles, MI. Then the course completely switches gears on you and plays in the rather odd mowed out fairways of 16 through 24. I have no idea what the 10' tall bushes are that grow on the backside of this course but you DO NOT want to land in them. It is instant jail and can be tough to get out.

I would love to rate this course higher. Much higher but IMHO the biggest thing holding it back is the lack of decent tees. These are just plain dangerous.
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8 1
B3NDER
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 18.8 years 120 played 15 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Good discing for all 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 31, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

• Very large layout to the entire "Park" with a lot of other activities. Camping nearby to accommodate. Course was pay-to-pay but not unreasonable for a Mason County Park.

- Overall the park has a good variety of shots covered. The first half of the park is mostly tight, wooded shots that reward accuracy and finesse. Tight lines coupled with shorter holes makes for good practice with mids and putters. It isn't until the second half of so of the course that you'll need to break out the distance drivers. These open fairway shots are mostly self-explanatory with tall grass and weeds on either side ready to eat up an errant drive.

-Wind can really come into play on these open fairway shots, as there isn't much slowing down the wind. Be wary about griplock and playing into the wind as you don't want to end up too far off the fairway.

• Benches were every so often, offering your tired feet a break from your day-long disc golf outting. The course was pretty clean to boot, I don't recall seeing trash or litter about.

• Teesigns had distances and hole number covered, but not much else. Also the routing for us was relatively easy, didn't have any hiccups there.

• Chainstar metal baskets are always a nice touch. These had some catch and shine to them and weren't difficult to spot. Love it.


Cons:

• No concrete tees when we were there. Either worn dirt spots or rubber mats. Hoping they replace those altogether.

• The first half of the course feels very "pitch and putt" Not to say it won't challenge you a bit, it just seems completely opposite of the second, more open half that is all about bombing them, with a toned down focus on accuracy placement.

- Little to no elevation change (none that I really recall anyway) which also leads to a lack of risk/reward.

• Teepad signage could benefit from an actual "line" drawn in to familiarize newer players with the flow of the hole, as well as the basket's location. A few times we had to walk ahead to figure out exactly where the basket was.

- Probably the worst of the Mason County courses, not exactly a huge con but with other options readily available, this one is going to need some work to compete.

Other Thoughts:

I think I summed it up mostly in the "pros and cons" sections, but don't think I didn't enjoy the course. I definitely could have played better here, but didn't let that come into factor when grading and reviewing the course.

You WILL want to bring bug spray in the spring/summer months, particularly for the densely wooded first half.

Don't miss the chance to play this course, but at the same time don't skip an even better course to try to cram this one in. Flip City as well as the other Mason County Parks added in with this course in a day would make for an awesome trip.

With a good amount of work I think they could really up the bar here, as the potential is definitely there for improvement.
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12 0
BogeyNoMore
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.8 years 479 played 183 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good, but not the Cutting Edge 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 24, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Nice course has decent variety and camping onsite. Plays like two completely different courses (which provides some variety in and of itself):
• First half of the course is moderately to densely wooded with some fairly tight lines - line shaping and precision shot making are emphasized over distance. Pretty much fodder for mids and putters, only a couple of wooded holes in the 300' range.
• Numerous fairway shapes in the wooded section allow for a variety of different shots, all requiring some degree of finesse.
• 2nd half of the course: break out the big guns. Open fairways are defined by grass/weeds as tall as cornstalks. Encourages numerous ways to air it out: hyzer flips, flex shots, mild hyzer lines out over the weeds to fade back into the fairway - whatever floats your boat. Favors big drives big time.
• Unlike many open holes, the stuff lining some of these fairways is actually tall enough to affect your shot, at least to a degree. Not hard to get over and around it - but you can't just throw flat unless your line keeps you over the fairway. Miss the fairway and you may or may not have a decent lie (depending on how thick it is where you land). Should you get into trouble, an OH shot can help you save par. Unless your shot strays way off course (perhaps a wind-aided grip lock), recovery shouldn't be too difficult... but you need to look shots down carefully or you may not find 'em.
• Wind likely to be a major factor on the back half of the course (was for my round).
• Hole 23 plays like an island green, pretty much deuce or die - most people will love it or hate it. Hole 18 is also a finesse shot, even though it's mostly open.
• Benches located every so often (don't recall the trash can situation on the course, but I know there was one at the beginning where you pay).
• Navigation: Pretty easy for the most part. Tee markers and next tee signs get the job done.

Cons:

• Entire course is flat. I don't even recall a reasonably risky rollaway putt. A creative way to elevate a couple of pins might have added that dimension for a change of pace. Perhaps a stepped pyramid of railroad ties or timbers about 3 ft high with the pin in the middle or a basket in a tree... Gimmicky? Perhaps, but this course could use a little risk/reward to make you think about short approaches/long putts, as well as some novelty.
• I thought the wooded section was a bit pitch and putt like, and while the rough is thick enough to punish errant shots, it shouldn't be too hard for players with reasonable control to card 3's - the challenge is scoring deuces and hitting metal.
• Could use flypads at all holes, and while it really isn't an issue yet, it's probably just a matter of time before traffic takes its toll and the tees become rutted and nasty.
• Hole 6 seemed ridiculously poke 'n' prayish off the tee and needs a bit of clearing.
• While I like the tee signs overall, I wish they included a simple line drawing indicating the fairway shape so visitors know where to look when walking the fairway to spot the pin.

Other Thoughts:

Suitable for beginners to intermediate players, but really won't challenge top Ams and Pros.

The wooded section seems quite average and really does nothing to distinguish it from a plethora of other courses in the mid-west. That's not to say it's bad by any stretch, just typical (i.e. 2.50). Normally, I prefer tight and technical, but I have to say the open holes on the 2nd half of The Edge seem more fun and unique (at least for this region), and help provide the balance and variety to make this a good course, hence my rating of 3.0.

Good compliment to Labyrinth - each course has what the other is missing, but neither course really puts it all together.

Pardon my laziness for copying this from my review of Labyrinth, but it's perfectly applicable:
Solid design and good disc play are nothing to turn one's nose up at. While I enjoyed my round and think they did a pretty good job here, I simply don't think The Edge is "destination worthy." It's no better (or worse) than many good courses in other communities I've visited.

The "problem" is the Mason County boys and Bill have set the bar so high with other courses in the area that I can't recommend spending your time playing The Edge when you could be experiencing something special nearby, especially if your time is limited.

However, if you're staying in the area for a few days, and have played the area's best (i.e.Flip, Beauty, Beast, Goliath, Leviathan,) and still have a desire to hit another course, play on The Edge and enjoy. But missing out one of them to play here would be a poor decision.
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3 3
Durco
Experience: 26.9 years 65 played 6 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Nice and fun 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 26, 2012 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Fun course! Good use of available land. Mostly technical, short, wooded holes for the 1st 3/4 of the course or so. A lot of putter and mid range shots off the tee. Easy to navigate. Pretty wooded holes. Nice park.

Cons:

The only thing I can really think of is the tee pads. They are not awful. But, can get you on a few holes if you are not paying attention to where you are stepping.

Other Thoughts:

Good course to get in a quick round, work on putter and mid range tee shots.
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7 0
apdrvya
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 13.9 years 350 played 293 reviews
3.50 star(s)

pointy course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 31, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

Aesthetic--lies in a huge forest and field which are apparently disc golf exclusive in the back section of a large city park/campground.

Teesigns--typical mason county signage. nicely made with distances. no maps.

flow/navigation--didn't get lost once, the flow is pretty easy to follow. not really any extra paths to confuse you on which way to go.

Baskets--Nice, new, chain stars grippy and visible. marked with correct hole numbers.

Variety--A nice variety here. plays through a huge forest with lots of trees. these holes are typically shorter than the field holes which are generally hugely longer.

Benches-- really quite nice throughout the course. the field holes would be a little nicer with some shade but that really can't be controlled.

Cons:

Teepads--none or rubber mats. This will likely impove with time. this park is still fairly new.

Risk v Reward--not really any to speak of.

Elevation--none to speak of.

Uncontrollables--Bugs were really bad when we played and the amount of thorny bushes and trees in the rough are a bit rediculous in places... holes 13, 14, 15 were particularly rediculous.

Other Thoughts:

This is the "weakest" of the Mason County courses. That is really not saying much though. This is a great course and will only improve with time and use. the redesign is great (not that I played the old lay out).
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8 0
armadillo
Experience: 15.6 years 31 played 2 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Good Balance 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 8, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Good variety. Woods holes not too long and obstacles are not excessive. Great for emphasizing control and less on distance.
- A control player is richly rewarded. However, if you veer off into the rough, recovery can be quite challenging since some of it is pretty thick.
- There are also open, longer distance holes to practice your power game.

Cons:

- It's a newer course with temporary markings for the tees. No pads. Following the course is pretty intuitive, but a few markings would eliminate any confusion.
- I didn't have to deal with it, but it appeared some of the hazards could be swampy and thick with brush making it difficult to recover a disc.
- The gnats were annoying the day I played.

Other Thoughts:

I played on a beautiful, sunny, Fall day. Conditions were perfect. I had a couple beginner players with me so my attention was more on them than the course. The play seemed easy enough for beginners not to get frustrated, but also enough twists and turns to provide challenge for the more experienced player. However, I would not call it a difficult course. It also seemed pretty balanced... not favoring a backhanded or forehanded player. I thoroughly enjoyed my round and certainly would play this course again. Unfortunately, I was camping and do not live in the area.
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