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Rank: Veteran
Joined: 2/9/2009
Posts: 203
Location: Monroe, OH
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Kara and I took a trip WAY up North to the beautiful bay spot known as Traverse City, Michigan. We set off in that direction due to me being a groomsmen in my close friend's wedding but decided to enjoy ourselves during our stay since I don't think we'll be back up that way for anything in a long time.
The course is called Hickory Hills Disc Golf Course and is set up throughout what is or used to be a ski lodge! Many holes with amazing scenic views as well as challenging fairways. But don't let the beauty of this place fool you, it can turn your smile upside down if you aren't on top of your game! At first the holes are pretty, level, and are just as fun as any other course. After hole 6... the course takes you for all your worth. Suddenly there are big elevation changes, big long cannon arm holes, super steep down hill bombers, and if you throw too high and go screaming off the fairway 400 feet down the hill and then off the fairway into the woods... you may spend the rest of your day looking for your disc! Hole 19 is the famous one here for sure... Scenic mountain top view of the bay and Traverse City, as well as a 600+ ft. fairway down to the basket with dense forest on both sides! Not to mention the long tee I played from on this hole that is like a handbuilt elevated bandstage tee off that added about 8 feet to your height of tee off position as well as another 100+ ft to the hole!
In all it was amazing, beautful, and challenging. Only con I felt was that up in Michigan they don't have much dirt. Instead it is sand, so just like mud here, the sand gets all over the tee boxes and makes them slippery. However, most of the tee signs have brooms attached to the back of them so you can swipe the pad before teeing off. Wish I would have had more time to go back and conquer the huge downhill holes, I have no regrets about this course and HIGHLY recommend it!!! 
Go here for pics and details!!! http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=647
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Rank: Tree Hukker
Joined: 2/8/2009
Posts: 22
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If disc golf courses on ski hills are anyone's thing (and they should be) then head out west...Targee, JH, Aspen, Vail, etc... all have summer courses...as well as many in the NE... that run up and down the ski runs....
BTW.....Colin and I have been up to that part of MI several times for another reason....fly fishing...and especially this time of year...salmon and steelhead. great fishing in the Crystal, Pere Marquette, and AuSable to name a few.
And for the most important part....beer. I always say go local and although I've never played the course two brews worthy of TT's description are Bell's Cherry Stout or Raison d'etre. Maybe they pair well or maybe they don't....only one way to find out!!
Thanks for the review...I'll be sure to check it out!!
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Rank: Regular
Joined: 4/27/2009
Posts: 81
Location: Cincinnati
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That looks like an awesome course. What did you shoot Tim Tim?
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Rank: Veteran
Joined: 2/9/2009
Posts: 203
Location: Monroe, OH
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Not too great actually... I ended up with a +5 playing all par 3. We were pretty rushed cause we didn't have alot of freetime while up there but I'm also not too good at judging far downhill elevation changes. And when your throwing at a 600+ ft downhill hole... that is something you NEED to be good at lol
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Rank: Veteran
Joined: 6/26/2007
Posts: 201
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hickory hills rules!
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Rank: Veteran
Joined: 8/2/2007
Posts: 176
Location: Hamilton (West)
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I was just in MI this weekend. Do yourself a favor and go to *Begg Park* in Battle Creek on your way back. Fort Custer is right down the road and its nearly as nice, but you might lose discs in the tall grass and the skeeters will definitely get you
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Rank: Veteran
Joined: 2/9/2009
Posts: 203
Location: Monroe, OH
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DUUUUUUUDE it's funny you say that cause me and Kara talked about that on the way back but didn't have the time to stop an any of those courses... 
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Rank: Veteran
Joined: 5/1/2007
Posts: 169
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There are a lot of courses in Battlecreek/Kalamazoo area that would eat discs. I lost one at Meijer Broadway along with about 40 other people during worlds. Lost one at the Meijer Broadway temp course during practice as well but ended up getting it back several days later. Lost another one at Coldbrooke but that was during glow so it could have been laying in the fairway for all I know. Worlds was rough on plastic 
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Rank: Veteran
Joined: 2/9/2009
Posts: 203
Location: Monroe, OH
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man... your kinda makin me glad I didn't make it to play that year lol
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Rank: Elite Veteran
Joined: 1/16/2007
Posts: 848
Location: Wyoming
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Hickory Hills is a wonderful course! I'm from Traverse City BTW.
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Rank: Veteran
Joined: 2/9/2009
Posts: 203
Location: Monroe, OH
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Oh that's cool! Has there always been such busy footwork through that course? The 2 times we went to check it out and play there were ALOT of people playing it. Was just wondering if it had always been that popular or if it was because the sport is growing.
But that course is indeed as you said, wonderful. Didn't have time to check out the college campus course around there though...
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Rank: Elite Veteran
Joined: 1/16/2007
Posts: 848
Location: Wyoming
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It is a top twenty course in the world IMO and you can play 24 holes in the same time as one round of Idlewild. It is always crowded.
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