Paw Paw Park

So this is probably a bit picky, but this course would automatically go up to an A if they would just get rid of the burr bearing plants. I often like taking my canine friend disc-golfing, and he love ... show more ›

So this is probably a bit picky, but this course would automatically go up to an A if they would just get rid of the burr bearing plants. I often like taking my canine friend disc-golfing, and he loves it too, but one time at Paw Paw was enough. I was picking way too many burrs out of his fur after our round.

Overall course is well laid out with lots of challenge for us amateurs. As others have mentioned, the rough is very rough - and prickly. The course is also very open, which makes it prone to wind. I do love their teepads as well.

This is one of my favorite courses in the entire state. It's a destination course for me. Anytime the wife and I are in the area time is made to visit. The rough is brutal in the front 9, but fair on ... show more ›

This is one of my favorite courses in the entire state. It's a destination course for me. Anytime the wife and I are in the area time is made to visit. The rough is brutal in the front 9, but fair on most holes. The back nine is where this course really shines. Beautiful shot shaping, definite scoring opportunities. If you haven't played this course, get out there and do it. On just about any day, this course beats a day at the beach.

This is a beautiful course that really brings your game out. It has nice baskets, great tee pads, and a good layout that feels organic. It can be very punishing and fulfilling with the water holes an ... show more ›

This is a beautiful course that really brings your game out. It has nice baskets, great tee pads, and a good layout that feels organic. It can be very punishing and fulfilling with the water holes and wide open shots you are given to work with. The rough is intense at this course so be prepared. Paw Paw Park changed me forever.

The rough is so punishing here because of the many types of prickers. We had a large group Saturday afternoon with perfect weather. We spent much more time looking for discs than actual throwing. T ... show more ›

The rough is so punishing here because of the many types of prickers. We had a large group Saturday afternoon with perfect weather. We spent much more time looking for discs than actual throwing. This may be excellent for accurate throwing players. I love the signs, but numbers are used to identify holes AND points on the walking trail, confusing... The fairways are well mowed but narrow. In the 3 hours we spent on the first 9 no one ever was behind us. 72 degrees and sunny with a breeze. THE ROUGH NEEDS A BRUSH HOG, and has needed one every time I have been there. I have played this many times. The bathrooms and parking at the entrance are excellent. BEGINNERS STAY AWAY

fun course, devastated to come up to hole 2 and find a severe water hazard to your immediate left and a bad turn makes a sucky trip into the mess to get your disk back after the 2nd! hole. None the le ... show more ›

fun course, devastated to come up to hole 2 and find a severe water hazard to your immediate left and a bad turn makes a sucky trip into the mess to get your disk back after the 2nd! hole. None the less, the scenery and open back holes are fun especially if you need to stretch that arm out and feel like a boss.

Offers some of the most visually appealing holes in the state imo. Good signage, easy to navigate. Great mix of long but birdie-able par 4's, and tricky par 3's with few gimmes stretched far between. ... show more ›

Offers some of the most visually appealing holes in the state imo. Good signage, easy to navigate. Great mix of long but birdie-able par 4's, and tricky par 3's with few gimmes stretched far between. Great use of water offers risk/reward on a few of the holes can separate the card quickly. Rough is ROUGH. The back 9 plays easier. Seems like 18 might have been an afterthought, but all in all, it's a great course that will truly test your skill and accuracy.

fun course to play. long holes and short good mix of par 3s and 4s. #9 was a monster with a huge pond to play over had to swim and get a disc after a bad skip. great signs fat each tee nice cement te ... show more ›

fun course to play. long holes and short good mix of par 3s and 4s. #9 was a monster with a huge pond to play over had to swim and get a disc after a bad skip. great signs fat each tee nice cement tee pads for all tees. good mix of open holes and some with trees and some hill come into play. over all a great course to play. for only playing 6 months now very tough course for beginners but still fun. nice location in a public park . only con really is layout is a little hard to figure out only because of how close some of the holes are form one another.

I've played this course maybe 10 times and it took me a while to warm up to it, mostly because I was not very good the first time I played here. First off, the tees rock and the signage here is hands ... show more ›

I've played this course maybe 10 times and it took me a while to warm up to it, mostly because I was not very good the first time I played here. First off, the tees rock and the signage here is hands down the best I have encountered so far. The course is definitely not a beginners course due to length, water, and the fact that if you can't land the fairway on the majority of the holes, you will be looking through dense, painful rough for days. I lost many discs here the first few times out last year but now that I went back I find it much more playable and extremely enjoyable. The elevation changes rock, and I love the opportunity to throw those risk/reward shots provided here due to the water and length. Overall it gets an "A-" because of the incredibly dense rough. If the rough was just long grass without burrs and prickers it would be more manageable. Regardless, this course is worth the drive and the scenery is fantastic.

It's a beautiful course and will punish you with its intense OB and rough. It has some of the more memorable water holes that I've played. Great tees, great signage, baskets are in good condition, and ... show more ›

It's a beautiful course and will punish you with its intense OB and rough. It has some of the more memorable water holes that I've played. Great tees, great signage, baskets are in good condition, and the fairways are always looking freshly mowed.

Besides disc golf, this is a BEAUTIFUL park. In summer, when the plants are in bloom, the fairways mowed, and the sun is going down... there is maybe nowhere I'd rather be. Yesterday I ran into a family of deer on pretty much every other hole while playing. It can feel like a magical place.

The rough is very rough, so there is definitely a risk of losing (a lot) of discs. When the course is wet and swampy, it's less enjoyable. I've lost many discs here not only to the water but also to the tall grass. It's good to have a spotter on holes where the basket is blind (and there are a few). When we've had a lot of rain, hole 2 can get soggy and hole 16 can partially flood. This is pretty common and you can usually still play them both with careful paths through the drier areas... but it's definitely better when everything is dry.

As for the actual layout, it lacks some gusto on the back 9. It finishes less excitingly than it began, but I still love a lot of the holes. It's really the last 2 that don't have a ton going on. Otherwise, it's hard to complain about this gem.



Highlight Holes:

2 - It's an easy par 4, but one of my favorites because of how beautiful it is. The rough to the right is swampy and tall, but hyzer too much off the tee and you'll find the water.

8 - Forces you to play golf. Get to greedy and you'll be wet. Play a smart shot to the landing zone and you'll be rewarded with a birdie.

9 - Best water hole I've played. 380 foot water carry is scary for anyone. Birdie feels really great.

11 - Coolest green around. Just a solid par four. Throw a good drive and you'll have a shot into the green. It's got plenty of openings, but the ground is slidey and the basket is tucked back in pretty far.

16 - The only hole I've never birdied. It's a challenging par and a well designed hole.

One of the most beautiful courses I've ever played. Several water hazard holes, including a sweet peninsula hole. I only played one round here so far, but I shot great for the round, so probably lef ... show more ›

One of the most beautiful courses I've ever played. Several water hazard holes, including a sweet peninsula hole. I only played one round here so far, but I shot great for the round, so probably left an even more lasting image of how terrific this course is. When I imagine a course built for professional disc golfers...this is the type of course that comes to mind. Chainstars...love 'em, pads are perfect. If you get off some of the fairways, this course can be a little unforgiving...that's the only bad thing I could even say about this course.

One of my favorite courses! It is wide open but not lacking well placed trees that will get in your way if not careful, plenty of water hazards that make you think twice about throwing your favorite d ... show more ›

One of my favorite courses! It is wide open but not lacking well placed trees that will get in your way if not careful, plenty of water hazards that make you think twice about throwing your favorite discs, and the fairways are surrounded by a thick rough. You will want to be ready to look for a few discs that may fly out of your hand not quite where you wanted them to. I have been told that this place is not for beginners but for me that just makes me learn quicker. I have lost 3 discs here so far but it has been worth it. I highly recommend this corse to all levels of player but for those who haven't learned to loose their discs where they want them to go yet be ready to swim! (seriously)

This is a very nice course with great variety. It could be better if they would mow a wider path or at least keep the rough to a manageable level. It is very easy to lose a disc here in the rough an ... show more ›

This is a very nice course with great variety. It could be better if they would mow a wider path or at least keep the rough to a manageable level. It is very easy to lose a disc here in the rough and it doesn't have to be that way. But if you play it like the rough is out of bounds or even water then you should be ok. There are a few actual water shots including throwing over a pond. Those were pretty cool.

Individual hole design is excellent. "Fore" will be shouted often on busy days. That's what you get with the relatively short walks to the next tee. Signage and upkeep is superior. Space for addition ... show more ›

Individual hole design is excellent. "Fore" will be shouted often on busy days. That's what you get with the relatively short walks to the next tee. Signage and upkeep is superior. Space for addition holes or stretching is available but concern over wildlife habitat resists expansion. When big regional tournaments come back to West Mich this course could easily fit into the plan.

This course definitely has potential and I would probably rate it higher if I was not spoiled by living in close proximity to some of the finest courses West Michigan has to offer (White Hall, Henders ... show more ›

This course definitely has potential and I would probably rate it higher if I was not spoiled by living in close proximity to some of the finest courses West Michigan has to offer (White Hall, Henderson Lake, Flip City Branstrom). If you do play here, I highly suggest bringing at least one friend so you can spot each others discs. The greens are very narrow surrounded by thick grass and shrubs on all sides. Errant throws to blind holes can therefor have a tendency to lead to lost discs if not spotted. My suggestions, mow more then a narrow strip to each hole and plant some trees.

Pros: The course is a dream for anyone who really loves to open up and drive far (favors RHBH players with a handful of forehand dream holes). There are a lot of holes where you can explode on your op ... show more ›

Pros: The course is a dream for anyone who really loves to open up and drive far (favors RHBH players with a handful of forehand dream holes). There are a lot of holes where you can explode on your opening drive and then still enjoy the finesse of having to navigate trees and water and other traps on your approach and putt to get your birdie or par.

The landscaping is beautiful, the layout is top notch and the course markings and navigation are excellent!

Let's all work to self-police this course and not let those who don't appreciate disc golf for what it truly is destroy this beautiful course!

Cons: Too much natural preserve that includes too much tall grass traps. The tall grass is more difficult to find your disc in than even water, and also is more noticeable when it gets trampled down (as opposed to swimming in a pond to find a lost disc). It's tough to not trample down the grass trying to find a disc, which then is looked at as irresponsible by disc players, as not protecting the natural preserve of the course. The course management should thin out some of the grass on some of the front holes to make it easier to find discs.

Other Thoughts: This could easily be expanded to 24 holes if the PDGA tour wanted to make a stop. It would be a 4.5/5 or 5/5 on my list if it were 24 holes.

This course is magnificent. The course is the most professional looking course I have ever been to. The tee boxes are large and robust. The signs at ever hole are illustrated perfectly and have topo ... show more ›

This course is magnificent. The course is the most professional looking course I have ever been to. The tee boxes are large and robust. The signs at ever hole are illustrated perfectly and have topography and hazards indicated. There is a mix of hole types so no one will be disappointed. There are a few areas where the Out Of Bounds will really hurt. I mean literally as there are a couple holes that are right next to a huge pricker field. You may want a spotter for some of the holes your first run through until you know which shot type works best there.

Beautiful landscape here, i really felt like i was "out" on the course. The rough is nasty for any errant shots. The challenges are all here, risk vs.reward. Well maintained and clean. Very nice tee p ... show more ›

Beautiful landscape here, i really felt like i was "out" on the course. The rough is nasty for any errant shots. The challenges are all here, risk vs.reward. Well maintained and clean. Very nice tee pads and signs. No garbage cans at the holes, however there is a nice facility "including bathrooms" in the park which has a few around.

This is a really nice course and well designed. 4 water holes which I like and well positioned baskets . A spotter is advised for the blind holes as the rough swallows your plastic and getting it back ... show more ›

This is a really nice course and well designed. 4 water holes which I like and well positioned baskets . A spotter is advised for the blind holes as the rough swallows your plastic and getting it back may take some looking. The parks system has installed nice walking trails as well as a nice although small parking area parking fills up quickly so get there early. There are also nice bathrooms. GREAT signage , some of the best I have seen. The fairways are very well taken care of and nicely mowed. The only thing is very few trash cans so pack in / pack out to keep the course and park clean.

I like the design of most of the holes, but some feel a little crammed. Hole eighteen was an afterthought and it shows. The course plays great. A nice balance of difficult, and easy holes to let a ... show more ›

I like the design of most of the holes, but some feel a little crammed. Hole eighteen was an afterthought and it shows. The course plays great. A nice balance of difficult, and easy holes to let a player shoot right around par. A few nice solid par fours, and some pretty easy threes. I like the water holes most. Right backhand friendly, but not dominant. Rough rough. Keep in on the fairway.

Overall, very good use of the park. The aesthetics of the park are solid. Stop and take it in around hole nine's basket.

Lots of nice pin placements and good use of available land/trees/water. Beautiful signs and benches, and large cement tee pads. There are a few holes that present a few different lines and risk/reward ... show more ›

Lots of nice pin placements and good use of available land/trees/water. Beautiful signs and benches, and large cement tee pads. There are a few holes that present a few different lines and risk/reward shots, however there also are a lot of 250-350 holes that just feel like the same hyzer shot with different scenery. Overall a very enjoyable course that I don't have to drive a half hour or more to play. Would love to see more courses like it filling up the Hudsonville/Zeeland/Holland area!

I'm happy to see a park system on the West side of the state step up and provide great landscaping, mowing, tee signs, benches, etc. They took time to make this a nice course which is appreciated. # ... show more ›

I'm happy to see a park system on the West side of the state step up and provide great landscaping, mowing, tee signs, benches, etc. They took time to make this a nice course which is appreciated. # 9 has got to be one of the better holes in the state - A perfect risk reward test. Pros - Landscaping, water holes, scenery. Cons - Lack of shot making diversity (hyzer city), nasty-prickly-dense rough.