Pros:
Pioneer Trail Park is a great wooded disc golf course. As a local for the past year I have played the course dozens of times. Blue Tees are a fun challenge during the summer months and Red Tees are great for approach practice, beginners, and winter rounds.
-Lines are difficult but fair. This is not a poke and hope course, but the heavy woods function as natural OB. Players who throw off of the fairway will be punished with poor looks that often result in bogies. There are trees on every hole. Hole 8 is the only open hole, and even that one has some trees that can come into play.
-Some holes have multiple lines off the tee. In particular, holes #1, #2, #3, #11, and #15 present players with two or more viable options off of the the tee. Most other holes have one intuitive line, but players may choose different throws to hit said line. For example, both #6 and #7 are big left turns. However, I have seen both pins reached with righthand backhand and forehand throws.
-Memorable holes: #8 is a short downhill ace run that carries across the road. It's a fun hole that breaks up the otherwise unceasing string of heavily wooded holes.
#16 is a bear of a hole appropriately labeled "Lefty's Cliff." Golfers are met with a tight line over a hill with a steep dropoff on the left side of the fairway. In my opinion the most difficult hole of the regular 18.
#19 is the only water carry on the course, but is a "good disc hole." Players throw maybe a little under 200' over a mucky pond before entering left bending tunnel. It's a cool hole.
-Good signage. It is clear where the course begins, as indicated by a large "Disc Golf Course Starts Here" sign that it is impossible to miss. Tee signs are accurate, in great condition, and even offer tips and hole descriptions. There is a sign near hole #18's basket pointing back towards the parking area if you choose to finish there.
-Intuitive Course Flow. I can't recall ever getting lost on this course. Playing this course feels like going for a hike through the woods while playing disc along the way. Just follow the trail.
-Challenging holes mixed in with relatively easier holes. #8 and #9 present very reasonable birdie opportunities. Holes #16-18 have a reputation for ruining good rounds. The course as a whole is challenging.
The course has amenities in the form of the camp office. Food, drink, and a limited selection of discs are available there.
Cons:
-Mosquitoes are terrible at this course in the summer. Can be almost unplayable without bug dope.
-Tunnel Shot Redundancy. This is partially a natural quality of heavily wooded disc golf courses, but it can feel repetitive. #13 is a long narrow straight tunnel shot. #18 is a straight longer but wider tunnel shot. Holes with only one viable line adds to this feeling.
-Raised Gravel Teepads. This is my biggest issue with PTP. Gravel teepads develop ruts, which become puddles when it rains. There is also a dropoff off the front of the teepad, which is as high as 2-3 feet on some holes. Not only do the teepads throw players off mentally, but they also present a safety hazard. I have not fallen off the front of a teepad, but know players who have. It is quite conceivable to twist and ankle or suffer a similar joint injury with these poorly designed teepads. My hunch is that these might never evolve into rubber or cement in part because that would admit that this course is indeed permanent.
-The ground cover is very thick. Most of the course is covered with dead leaves and sticks. This is intentional for the well-being of the park's trees, but also can make it difficult to find discs.
Similarly, there are many small trees that are growing in and on the edge of fairways. I have heard the rule of thumb for a wooded disc golf fairway is to remove all trees that you can fit your hand around. Many trees were removed in the making of this course, and many more would have to be removed to meet that guideline. As it stands, the course feels minimally maintained for disc golf purposes.
-Similarly, at the time of this review update (6/11/19), PTP has many downed trees and woodpiles in and on the edge of course fairways. Many of the parks beach trees had to be cut down due to a disease that killed most of them. The County has cut many of them down, but full removal is still in process. In the meantime, be prepared for substantial brush piles including on #11 and #16.
-Holes #19-#24 feel like an afterthought, even with #19 being a great hole. They are less broken in, less played, and less maintained than #1-#18.
-Holes #25-27 will likely never be installed. It's a cool idea to play on the island in the river, but in reality it's more river than island most of the time. In 2019 we've had particularly high water levels. Lake Michigan is as high as ever up here, as is the Escanaba River that boarders PTP.
-As of the summer of 2017 PTP is now pay to play. Cost is $3 per day or $55 for a seasonal pass, neither of which is unreasonable to play a high quality course. That being said, it is currently unclear exactly where the funds from course entry fees will go. Will they go towards course improvements: better teepads, course maintenance, etc., or will entry fees go towards other improvements throughout the park? This is yet to be seen, but time will tell.
UPDATE June 2019: Course is still pay to play, but arguably not up to pay to play standards. Still a good course in design, but is in need of some maintenance.
-The summary of my complaints is that this a disc golf course within the confines of a county park and campground. Pioneer Trail Park is a county park and a campground first, and home to one of the best disc golf courses in the Upper Peninsula second.
-Furthermore, clashes between park management and the local club has created a situation where organized disc golf events are prohibited at PTP: no leagues, no clubs, only pay to play casual rounds. Definitely still worth checking out if you are in the area because it is a legitimately fun wooded disc golf course.
Other Thoughts:
Don't be deceived by local politics that have negatively affected PTP. Judging the course solely on the merits of being a good disc golf course, PTP is a great disc golf course that with more love and care could be an excellent course.