I'm a mediocre disc golfer and long-winded reviewer. I'm currently based in Michigan, USA. I played a lot of "object golf" with family and friends growing up, using an Ultimate Frisbee. My first real DG experience was at the old Hickory Hills 24-hole setup in Traverse City, MI - circa 2010. Over the next decade I averaged a couple rounds a year with friends, and my interest in the sport slowly grew. I started playing regularly in June 2020.
I have played every publicly available course and practice area in Michigan's Upper Peninsula (more or less - new ones keep popping up of course!). The "UP" is also a great vacation destination in general if you like the outdoors - hiking, waterfalls, and other sightseeing opportunities abound. Feel free to ask me for both DG and non-DG recommendations.
In September 2024 I took an epic trip to Iceland and played 14 courses all around the country - from the capital Reykjavik and the second largest city Akureyri, around the entire Ring Road and even in the remote Westfjords area near Ísafjörður. I'd highly recommend a trip to "the land of fire and ice" - feel free to ask me for both DG and non-DG knowledge.
Top 10 Favorite Courses:
These courses stuck the most in my mind and are the ones I would most like to return to. This list does not necessarily mirror the top ten ratings I have given, or what I think the DGCR Top 10 should look like. I have found that courses can be missing features that I think are critical for a 5.0 rating, and yet possess a natural beauty and "it" factor that leaves a lasting impression on me. This is my attempt at capturing that.
1. Maple Hill - Leicester, MA
2. Kincaid Park - Anchorage, AK
3. Rainshadow - Sequim, WA
4. Superior Pines - Grand Marais, MI
--- There is a bit of a drop-off after those top four, in my mind. ---
5. Wilderness - Montello, WI
6. Sandy Point Resort DG Ranch - Lac du Flambeau, WI
7. Flip City - Shelby, MI
8. North Bluff - Gladstone, MI
9. Nichols Field - East Haddam, CT
10. Grafarholt - Reykjavik, Iceland
There are several other courses not listed here that could slide into the 5-10 slots depending on the day.
Favorite Individual Holes (in no particular order):
Hole 26 @ Silver Creek Park - Manitowoc, WI
Hole 3 @ Kincaid Park - Anchorage, AK
Hole 11 @ Flip City - Shelby, MI
Hole 10 @ Fairway to Heaven - Pentwater, MI
Hole 24 @ Ionia State Rec. Area - Ionia, MI
Hole 22 @ Idlewild - Burlington, KY
Aces:
1. 18 September 2022 - Art Prize 2022 #135, Grand Rapids MI - Hole #5 100'ish - Westside Swan
I also have two "Cubby Aces" that I'm proud of:
1. 13 October 2021 - The Breakers, West Olive MI - Hole #9 220' - 3rd attempt - Innova Teebird
2. 10 April 2022 - Kenneth J. Lehman Nature Trails, Sidney, MI - Hole #11 (listed at 98', more like 150') - 2nd attempt - Innova Dragon
Man, I was hoping Hilltop Meadows would take off! I played it soon after it opened and it was very rough, but had a lot of potential. I'm guessing there isn't much of a disc golf community in the Newberry area. Too bad.