Pros:
Large Course Sign at Parking Lot
Decent Amount of Parking
Great Design (Flows Well, No Really Long Walks)
Great Variety (Left, Right, Straight)
Great Variety of Distances
Pro and Am Tee Pads on Most Holes
Nice Sized Concrete Tee Pads
Nice Tee Signs (When Present)
Amazing Use of Elevation
Both Open and Wooded Holes
Benches and Trash Cans Throughout
Restrooms In Park
Figure 8 Design (Front & Back 9 End at Parking)
Course Has A Lot of Character
Cons:
Can Get Very Crowded
Litter Can Be An Issue
Many Tee Signs Missing or Vandalized
Erosion Is Becoming A Problem
Very Little Maintenance Done To Course
Can Get Muddy In Spots
Navigation Could Be Hard W/O Guide
Other Thoughts:
Cass Benton Hills DGC is a classic 18-hole course located in Northville, Michigan. The course is located just minutes from I-96 in Cass Benton Park. The park is very nice, and fairly large with amenities such as picnic pavilions, restrooms, and playgrounds, none of which come into play on the course. During the winter months there are many winter activities such as cross-country skiing and bobsledding.
The course itself is located along Edward N Hines Drive, look for the large sign that says Cass Benton Hills Disc Golf Course on the east side of the road. Park in the lot behind the sign, along the road. Once in the lot, to get to the first hole, head towards the woods near the back of the parking lot and walk up the hill towards the road. Follow the path between the road and tree line and look for the trail that cuts into the woods. Hole 1 is just inside the trees and has both a Pro and Am tee pad.
As you play through the course you'll see many features that make this an above average, standout course. The first thing you will notice is the variety of open and wooded holes. Not only is there a great mix of both, there are tight wooded fairways as well as moderately wooded holes that are still quite technical.
The next great thing about the course is the amazing use of the elevation throughout the park. Right from the beginning you will play over rolling hills, up hills, and a couple of down hill bombs as well. The elevation doesn't stop with just the drives and fairways either. Many pins are positioned with a great risk reward factor, do you lay up, or go for it and risk the 40 foot roll-away?
The only downside to this great course is the lack of maintenance and upkeep done on the course. One major problem is the amount of litter. There are trash cans throughout, but people either choose not to use them, or they are full and trash finds its way to the ground. Another issue is the vandalism done to both benches and tee signs, if the signs aren't just missing altogether. Unfortunately you can really see the age and poor misuse of the course over the years and, from what I can tell, not a lot is being done to try to correct the problems.
Other than the extremely large crowds and the poor maintenance on the course, Cass Benton is a really great course. Great layout, great design (beginning and ending at the parking lot), and great variety are all keys to a great course and this has all of them. I would definitely play this one again and would recommend it to anyone in the area.