Independence Lake County Park

I'm giving the picnic course and A- under the following assumptions: -You know where you are going, you have played the course before. -The footing on the natural teepads is OK (ie. it's not raining or muddy or icy or snowy). -You are playing the course when the baskets are in the ground. If these conditions are met I can't think of any other place I would rather be discin. Unfortunately to meet these conditions you have a very small time window - I'm talking a few weeks in October and ...
continue reading ›

I'm giving the picnic course and A- under the following assumptions:

-You know where you are going, you have played the course before.
-The footing on the natural teepads is OK (ie. it's not raining or muddy or icy or snowy).
-You are playing the course when the baskets are in the ground.

If these conditions are met I can't think of any other place I would rather be discin. Unfortunately to meet these conditions you have a very small time window - I'm talking a few weeks in October and November before the weather starts to turn. I like most of the holes but it could use some tweaks here and there.

During the winter I would give the course a solid B, it is a lot of fun to play with the crazy wind from the lake, but footing is always an issue. Bring cleats or put the metal screws in your shoes.

I would just say for the most part this is a very seasonal course with a small window for ideal conditions. If you catch it at the right time then you will have a great disc golf experience. Best time to play it in my opinion is the "Union Strikes" tournament in mid-October.
‹ less text

Disclaimer: As one of the co-designers here, my opinion is heavily biased. I should probably not be allowed to even rate this course. But I will... muahahaha Now that the course is complete with concrete teepads I think it stacks up favorably to any other course in the state, which puts it in the running with any other course in the country. It is secluded in a very natural setting with an abundance of wildlife. This course takes up a big space for 18 holes, I think it has about 30+ acres ...
continue reading ›

Disclaimer: As one of the co-designers here, my opinion is heavily biased. I should probably not be allowed to even rate this course. But I will... muahahaha

Now that the course is complete with concrete teepads I think it stacks up favorably to any other course in the state, which puts it in the running with any other course in the country. It is secluded in a very natural setting with an abundance of wildlife. This course takes up a big space for 18 holes, I think it has about 30+ acres just for the disc course with no other activities other than an XC ski trail that come into play. Two sets of concrete pads with the black tees at 6'x12' and the white tees at 5'x10'. The pads were professionally installed by Saladino construction, they did a very nice job. HEAVY broom finish should ensure a grippy surface for years to come. The initial layout was done primarily by myself and Josh Romine, then Fortunato and I did most of the tweaks prior to the concrete pouring with some additional input from the Local 101 and other local players. We tried to design the course using only the native species as obstacles. Over time we hope to introduce more native species back to the park and eliminate more autumn olives.
Other thanks:
-Brian Machemer for being a great park superintendent and easy to work with.
-Bob Tetons, Coy Vaughn and the rest of the Washtenaw County Parks staff. Thanks for believing in this sport.
-Brian "Elmo" Jankovic for the free survey to get those accurate sign distances including elevation. Joe Arnet for helping out with all of that.
-Mark Ellis for telling us to keep hole one long and difficult, we were considering making it shorter from the black tee.
-Thomas Power the head of maintenance really deserves a lot of credit as he has taken ownership and pride of the course upkeep. He is responsible for the raised walkways and boardwalks out there and many of the autumn olives have been eradicated by him and the staff.
-Fortunato for doing all of the sign graphics and helping so much with the course design.

Remember:
It is a privilege to play here.
Please respect the course as you would your own property.
Cigarette butts ARE litter.
‹ less text

A world class course. The only reservation I have is the safety issue. In weather which is unseasonably good picnicers come out who know nothing about disc golf and become accidents waiting to happen (especially the kiddy playgrounds which are in or adjacent to the fairways). Ok, maybe the tee pads could be better but you really don't expect cement tee pads for a temp course. Depending on how OB lines are set the course can be modified substantially because there are lots of walking paths ...
continue reading ›

A world class course. The only reservation I have is the safety issue. In weather which is unseasonably good picnicers come out who know nothing about disc golf and become accidents waiting to happen (especially the kiddy playgrounds which are in or adjacent to the fairways). Ok, maybe the tee pads could be better but you really don't expect cement tee pads for a temp course.

Depending on how OB lines are set the course can be modified substantially because there are lots of walking paths which intersect the course.

The course is superbly designed with lots of water and danger and (usually) wind challenges.
‹ less text

This course will always hold a special place in my heart. I was the lucky winner of DGA 's 2008 worlds basket raffle. The picnic course provided the ideal remote beautiful setting for 18 sunburst orange Mach III baskets. Thanks to the hard work of Local 101 and Washtenaw parks and recreation my dream was realized of a new course close to home for all to enjoy. Several lakeside pin placements provide risk v reward shots as well as spectacular photo ops. the seasonality of the course usually ...
continue reading ›

This course will always hold a special place in my heart. I was the lucky winner of DGA 's 2008 worlds basket raffle. The picnic course provided the ideal remote beautiful setting for 18 sunburst orange Mach III baskets. Thanks to the hard work of Local 101 and Washtenaw parks and recreation my dream was realized of a new course close to home for all to enjoy. Several lakeside pin placements provide risk v reward shots as well as spectacular photo ops. the seasonality of the course usually means there is plenty of wind to increase the difficulty. The only thing keeping me from giving it an A+ is the lack of permanent teepads. Can't imagine a place I rather be playing on a sunny fall day!
‹ less text

The Picnic course is one of the best in Southeast Michigan. The course itself is fairly wide open with some trees coming into play on holes 2, 4, 5, 7, and 18. The real challenge of this course, and what makes it great, is the setting and how it plays in with the course. There is OB on nearly every hole. Be it roads, pavilions, or water, the Ob on this course is challenging. Many holes offer chances at birdies but only shot that have superb placement will net you said birdies. The true signature ...
continue reading ›

The Picnic course is one of the best in Southeast Michigan. The course itself is fairly wide open with some trees coming into play on holes 2, 4, 5, 7, and 18. The real challenge of this course, and what makes it great, is the setting and how it plays in with the course. There is OB on nearly every hole. Be it roads, pavilions, or water, the Ob on this course is challenging. Many holes offer chances at birdies but only shot that have superb placement will net you said birdies. The true signature hole out here is hole 6 which plays from an elevated tee along a beach to a green set on a retaining wall along the water. Along with the staggering amount of OB, the wind also plays a strong factor on most days at Indy Lake. Being that the course is set on Independence Lake the wind comes ripping off the lake to make those previously mentioned placement shot even harder to achieve. This course is a "must play" if you are in the Ann Arbor area. Please be sure to thank Pete Kunoff for the beautiful orange baskets you get to play on if you see him.
‹ less text

This is hands down one of the best, premier courses in Michigan. There have been some recent changes/additions to the course and I felt the review could use some dusting off.....The Local 101 not only has designed a phenomenal course, and the park services do a insane job of maintaining this course. It doesn't matter which Tee you choose to play from, you are being handed a phenomenal course. As of right now Holes 13-16 are closed due to construction (all 24 holes re-open this November), but i ...
continue reading ›

This is hands down one of the best, premier courses in Michigan. There have been some recent changes/additions to the course and I felt the review could use some dusting off.....The Local 101 not only has designed a phenomenal course, and the park services do a insane job of maintaining this course. It doesn't matter which Tee you choose to play from, you are being handed a phenomenal course. As of right now Holes 13-16 are closed due to construction (all 24 holes re-open this November), but in the mean time Local 101 has added holes A-F and let me just say this.....Very, very fun layout. Scott and Mike (and the rest of the 101 crew) have designed some challenging, but fun holes. Hole C from the Longs is sick to say the least. The rest of the course is pristine right now. Park Maint. has been cleaning up the rough and they keep the course constantly mowed. Trash cans and picnic tables on every tee (Blacks & Whites). There are markers for each hole as well. Concrete Tess for 1-18 (Black and White) and natural tees for the Reds. The new holes only have temporary limestone pads (real pads coming in the fall). I am personally bias to this course, especially since it is in my backyard. However, it is a very different course weather playing from the Mid or Longs, this course has soooooo much to offer. I really appreciate that fact that it's still kind of a hidden gem of Washtenaw County. Course is rarely packed, and the front gate usually keeps more casuals at bay. The average player you see playing Indy is the hardcore, dedicated player that treats this course with respect. I am always seeing players cleaning up loose garbage, cigarette butts, bottle caps, etc. It's a players course, that is for sure. The only really problem is from end June to about mid-September, the Deer flies and Skeeters are unbearable. And actually the skeeters aren't too bad, its the Deer flies that are a real problem at times. I have seen them carry golfers away! This park is under major construction, they are installing a new water part and concessions. However, there is still plenty to do. After the round go take a dip in the lake or run through the Splash Zone to cool off during the summer months. Some of the cleanest bathrooms at the Center and perhaps the cleanest port-a-jon in the area at the disc golf course. There is even cans for recycling your plastic bottles or cans. I cannot recommend this course enough to anyone that loves the game!

Pros:
new holes A-F
Multiple tees to choose from
A technically advanced course, but fun for every level
Beautiful surroundings & cool wild life
Course maintenance rivals any course in the area
Good drainage, especially being near a lake with a naturally high water table
Excellent course/park amenities

Cons:
Windy, windy, windy
Deer Flies and Skeeters will carry away animals or small children
‹ less text

This was my first time out on This course. its a nice place and a great disc golf course. at this course they have a variety of holes. some were wide open, some had blind drives b/c of hills, some holes like hole one was kinda hard unless you have a great drive or get lucky b/c of lots of little trees about 3 or 4 inches thick all speard through the left side of the hole. on one hole the basket was set up on a plattue which would make a great dirt bike jump and made for a new style of disc golf ...
continue reading ›

This was my first time out on This course. its a nice place and a great disc golf course. at this course they have a variety of holes. some were wide open, some had blind drives b/c of hills, some holes like hole one was kinda hard unless you have a great drive or get lucky b/c of lots of little trees about 3 or 4 inches thick all speard through the left side of the hole. on one hole the basket was set up on a plattue which would make a great dirt bike jump and made for a new style of disc golf hole like i'd never played before but surly enjoyed. it was a different lay compared to anywhere i have played. the walks between holes were a bit longer then most the courses i play which is cool. they had some nice land bridges built and the grass was cut at a nice hight. everything was great. i'll have to play it again to git a better feel for the lay of the land. Enjoy!
‹ less text

Just played LOCO X7 and absolutely loved this course. We played the 20 hole format with A - F in play (brand new with crushed rock tee pads), and it played like a champion course. The highlight to me were the DGA Mach III baskets with the orange powder coating (won at Worlds by Peter Kunoff). But the course was also amazing with lots of wooded holes with trees everywhere, as well as open holes. We saw plenty of wildlife, and it looked like water would come into play more at different times ...
continue reading ›

Just played LOCO X7 and absolutely loved this course. We played the 20 hole format with A - F in play (brand new with crushed rock tee pads), and it played like a champion course. The highlight to me were the DGA Mach III baskets with the orange powder coating (won at Worlds by Peter Kunoff). But the course was also amazing with lots of wooded holes with trees everywhere, as well as open holes. We saw plenty of wildlife, and it looked like water would come into play more at different times of the year. Great guys running events at this course, including DISC-OR-DIE artist Mike Fortunato. The course played very well for a righty forehand, will be back next summer! A.
‹ less text

Where do I start? Great bright orange baskets, tight fairways that require you to really plan your shots or you'll get into trouble quick, Great tee pads and TEE PAD BROOMS AT EVERY HOLE!!!! Great use of the landscape makes for some challenging holes. Tee signs give great info and let you know if you should send a spotter ahead, they also have a small shelf for marking your score cards. Cons Was a little wet in spots (mushy ground) There are a few holes that are still under construction, bu ...
continue reading ›

Where do I start? Great bright orange baskets, tight fairways that require you to really plan your shots or you'll get into trouble quick, Great tee pads and TEE PAD BROOMS AT EVERY HOLE!!!! Great use of the landscape makes for some challenging holes. Tee signs give great info and let you know if you should send a spotter ahead, they also have a small shelf for marking your score cards.

Cons
Was a little wet in spots (mushy ground) There are a few holes that are still under construction, but they have added alt holes to make a full 18. Bugs. The rough is REALLY rough. The tall grass can make it a challenge to find your disc. If you are out of county it's $9 for a day pass, but the golf is free.

Other Thoughts
Can't wait to go back. Want to play the holes that are closed. they are really making a great course and they are making improvements all the time according to a local I talked too. Was really impressed with the park. Brooms at every tee, no litter, and well maintained. Seems like the people playing the course really care about it and are working to keep it nice. I only wish it was closer to my house so I could play it more often!
‹ less text