Brighton, MI

Chilson Woods - Standard

2.365(based on 11 reviews)
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Chilson Woods - Standard reviews

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3 0
tbonesocrul
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 183 played 21 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Mediocre Front 9, challenging back 9 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 18, 2019 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

- Tee signs on all of the holes
- Fairways are pretty clearly defined
- Lots of good variety in use of elevation
- Separate area than the rest of the park so unlikely to run into non-disc golfers
- near the ADA 6 hole course which is great for warming up
- bathroom near parking lot

Cons:

- Tee pads have this weird 4 hole pattern in them which makes stepping on them awkward
- only natural tees on the back 9
- The rough is rough with lots of thorns
- Lots of blind baskets from the tee, this was in winter when there was not a lot of foliage as well
- Some of the back nine was very hilly and could probably use some sort of structure on the slopes to help control erosion and make it easier to walk up/down
- Back 9 is hilly and most of the fairways are dirt so I could see it getting pretty muddy and slippery after wet periods
- navigation is a little tricky, but there are a few extra signs pointing to the next tees

Other Thoughts:

Playing through the front nine I was enjoying myself and thinking that these were some nice straightforward intermediate level holes. Little annoyed about the holes in the Tee pads, but it was relatively straightforward to take steps around them. After the front 9 I was thinking they were some nice holes, but nothing special.

The back 9 totally changed my opinion of the course. All it took were holes 10,11, and 12 to completely change my opinion of the course. The fairways started snaking up and down hills and following along valleys and ridges. The trees seemed larger and more majestic. There was still some light snow on the ground giving it a very serene feeling.

The things that would improve this course in my eyes, I think all of these improvements could push it to a 4.0:
- Tee pads on back 9
- Improved Tee-pads without the holes in them
- Extra things like trashcans and benches in the hilly stretches
- More visibility on baskets (either bands or flags or something)
- More trail like structure to make it easier to go up and down hills and stuff to help control erosion
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3 1
glassila
Experience: 12.7 years 117 played 12 reviews
2.50 star(s)

Fun course - thorns really hurt it. 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 23, 2017 Played the course:once

Pros:

+Beautiful wooded setting with huge trees everywhere.
+The fairways were well shaped with a good balance of straight, left to right and right to left shots.

Cons:

-Far and away the biggest con was the heavy rough loaded with thorns on every hole. (I believe the thorns were blackberries.) Because I hate to lose discs and don't like getting scraped up, I ended up throwing only bright colored, lower speed discs at reduced power.
-No next Tee signs. For the most part the course flowed OK, but more than once I headed in the wrong direction after playing a hole and had to search for the next tee box.
-The concrete tee pads had deep scratch marks which were too rough for my liking.

Other Thoughts:

Overall, Chilson Woods seemed like it would be a fun place to play if you played it regularly, but playing it just once, the thorns and lack of signage killed it for me. Also, playing alone, I did not have a spotter which would have allowed for more disc choices and longer throws.
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2 0
waterhyzerd
Experience: 125 played 20 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Nice back nine 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 29, 2017 Played the course:once

Other Thoughts:

*Review in progress

Played here for the first time despite living relatively nearby because of all the hype the new holes are getting.

Briefly on the front nine- I somewhat enjoyed those holes to start. They were mostly tunnel shots, curved and straight. Probably all par 3's and I found most of them moderately difficult to get the birdie. The front nine was mostly flat; played it during the middle of winter with very little foliage however I did encounter some of the nasty thorns and rough off the fairway like some other reviews pointed out.

New holes, back nine- definitely some "next level" holes compared to most courses in the area. Similar to the longer, hillier holes at Hollywoods. 10-13, 18 all had an epic feeling in terms of elevation, difficulty, and fun factor. 17 is an above average tunnel shot with a righty finish, 14-16 are average holes with minimal elevation and shorter length. Really enjoyed these holes despite the currently uneven natural tee areas.
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3 1
g0ing2f4st
Experience: 15.8 years 7 played 6 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Lots of potential but current dissapointment 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 29, 2016 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

+ Great scenery going through the woods
+ Technical & dynamic. Abundant trees make tough choices but with risk comes reward. Many different ways to approach each shot
+ short (80-180ft approx.) 6 hole warmup area

Cons:

- Lack of signage is very confusing. Jumps from hole 4 to 20 without any indication that there is no 5-19. Difficult to navigate on first play through.
- No trash cans or benches
- Tee pads are an irregular design with 4 holes in them. I did not encounter problems but potential trip hazard
- There appears to be more holes designed but only the tee post signs are in. No baskets

Other Thoughts:

This course has a ton of potential and I would love to revisit it and re-evaluate it once the work is finished. I dont know what the holdup is but given that this has been talked about for years it may still be some time.
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2 1
Oakey
Experience: 17 years 4 played 3 reviews
0.50 star(s)

Never finished 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jun 23, 2015 Played the course:once

Pros:

The baskets are nice, and the tee pads are new, there is definite potential.

Cons:

The first hole basket looks like it was tore out of the ground, and then placed temporarily in a barrel full of dirt. The tee pads aren't terrible, but they do have four holes on each corner, presumably so they can lift and move them if need be. There is not signage on to where the next hole might be, and aside from the first hole no signs to mark the tee boxes.

Other Thoughts:

This place had a lot of potential, and apparently no one has done any work to it since it was started. Don't waste your time, or money (It's a state rec area, so you have to pay for a day vehicle pass).
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2 0
apdrvya
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 13.9 years 350 played 293 reviews
2.00 star(s)

as vanilla as they come. 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 17, 2013 Played the course:once

Pros:

Aesthetic- plays in a state recreation area in a DG exclusive area. Is a complete work in progress.

Teepads- Long and in good repair. I have two major complaints about them however. one, they have stupid pipes in them. I'm not sure why the state park areas all have piping in the teepads but it is a serious tripping hazard. two, they are so elevated from the surrounding, that falling off of the pad could seriously hurt someone.

Baskets- in nice condition, could be more visible in the thick woods.

Routing and nav- not bad, not good. with the weird numbering (for now) the routing is a bit wonky but it's easy enough to follow I suppose.

Challenge- decent amount of challenge here, mainly in the form of thick shule. Poison ivy is here, but not anywhere as bad as the gulch.

Cons:

Teepads- See above.

Variety- heavily favors lefties and forehanders (RH). the holes that are in the ground are all very similar and boring.

Rough- super rough, poison ivy, thorns.

Other Thoughts:

I think this course seriously needs to be finished. the holes in the ground are mundane and monotonous. I was not sad to leave here.
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4 0
rohrean
Experience: 11.8 years 129 played 11 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Its almost finished, awesome 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Nov 6, 2016 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

11/6/16-I haven't been to this course in 4 months or so. I went today just for a short nine and was blown away that the back 9 are in for a total of 18 holes. These back holes are nothing like the front, they have and up north feel with tons of elevation. They are all solid par 3s and hole 18 is for sure a par 4 or maybe 5 at 500+ feet snaking downhill through the woods. All the holes are now re-number 1-18 with great flow. Signs on all the holes. The back nine do not have t-pads, I hope they will come. A couple of the tees are not level, hopefully some t pads will correct that situation.
Remember that these holes are work in progress, if you get off the fairway be prepared to rough through thick brush and some torn bushes. My advise, wear pants.

Thank you to the DNR and whoever else that finally made this happen. I wanted to rate it an A but without the T-pads its just not quite there. This is now my new home course, I love it and look forward to playing it often.

Cons:

Thick brush if you get off the fairway, wear long sleeves and pants.
No Concrete T-pads on the back nine holes
Can use some trash cans and a few benches

Other Thoughts:

My new home course, thank you to the DNR and whoever made this happen. It has been along time coming and the course looks great.If we can get T-pads on the back holes my rating moves up to a 4.
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1 2
Redmones12
Experience: 17.8 years 67 played 8 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Rough course and the trees are hard to deal with 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 9, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

This course has improved a lot, still very wooded hard shots but coming togther its funny how a course grows on you its a fairway from finished but looking better everyday. Great location, free to play with a state park pass nice parking.

It's improved more on a recent play glad to see that is still in process.
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2 2
a3wasp
Experience: 17.8 years 29 played 6 reviews
1.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

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

Pros:

It is located in a great area. It is a relatively new course, and has great potential if they were to get rid of a lot of the trees.

Cons:

There is no real line on any of the holes, because of the trees and debris blocking the fairways. This course needs some serious work in order for it to be playable. You have to stay fairway while you play because if you veer off, you end up in massive picker bushes.

Other Thoughts:

I'll check the course out next year to see if it has improved at all.
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7 0
BogeyNoMore
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.8 years 479 played 183 reviews
1.50 star(s)

Potential Diamond in the (very) Rough... and improving 2+ years

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Jun 23, 2012 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Set in a quiet section of a large, beautiful state rec area; well secluded from other park activities.
• Nice balance of L/R/straight fairways - pretty good hole design.
• WELL wooded and challenging - favors accuracy over distance. Makes you find a line and challenges you to execute it. Features some well-guarded and tucked pin locations.
• Mostly plays flat, but mild terrain elevation changes come into play on a few holes.
• Lots of shade for hot summer days.
• Large textured concrete tees and tee markers w/distance and direction help aid navigation. Flows pretty well from hole to hole.
• New 24 chain Chainstars.
• Plenty of paved parking with pavilions and restrooms nearby.
• Nice views of lake, fishing permitted.
• Camping available in the park (both rustic/no bath and modern/fairly nice showers) about 1.5 miles from the course.

Cons:

DON'T WEAR SHORTS... you have been warned.
• Rough: thick, nasty, thorny. I'd say it's brutal in spots, but it's more accurate to say there are a few spots where it's not brutal. I'm not sensationalizing this; 2-3 feet off the fairway can really hurt scores (and skin). Wear long pants and sturdy hikers.
• A couple of holes feel pretty "poke and pray."
• Several baskets not visible from tee - you may want to walk up the fairway to get an idea of how the hole you're on plays.
• Bugs: bring repellent with DEET.
• Course map linked here isn't 100% correct, but it should be useful if you haven't been here before.

Other Thoughts:

Perhaps the tightest, toughest set of fairways in the area.
•STAY ON THE FAIRWAY - I'm not kidding - thorny hazards ABOUND.
• 9 legit, very well-wooded holes suitable for intermediate/advanced players, with plans for 15 more coming. This is why holes are numbered 1-4, + 20-24. Plan is for holes 5-19 to be on the other side of the pond, closer to Chilson Rd - not sure when they're going in, but my rating will improve as the course does.
• 6 shorter, open holes (visible from the parking lot) were specifically installed to be ADA compliant (handicap accessible), but are also quite suitable for young children, complete novices or even an Ace Race... makes for a superb warm-up putting green.
•About 6 miles from downtown Brighton; lots of great eateries and places to drink.

** UPDATE 1/28/13 ** Concrete tees provide good footing and tee markers with distance and line make navigation much easier, but present a tripping hazard. This is a demanding 9 holer, with 6 bonus putter holes.

** UPDATE 3/29/13 ** Several trees cut down and debris has been cleared. These are tough (but doable) par 3's.

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4 0
ekauserud
Experience: 16.1 years 13 played 1 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Check out the progress! 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 15, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Tight wooded course, concrete tees, chainstar baskets, tee signs.

The park has taken awesome initiative to remove the intended trees per our original design. Once complete we are moving to the other side and clearing the next 15.

Cons:

Only nine holes in right now. Still some fairway debris(currently being worked on).

Other Thoughts:

There was some hatin' going on about the trees and the design. Why not go play it and see the progress?
Bill Gilbert was a solid work horse on this course and if it wasn't for him and a3 we would not have this course. Thanks!
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