A Brief Visit to Waterloo State Recreation Area (Big Portage Lake Unit Course, Under Construction)

Saturday, after Sheila headed to Hudson Mills for the Femillz tourney, our nephew, Andy, and I drove to the site of this new disc golf course currently being constructed. My intent was to see what the first nine holes looked like, now that rough clearing had been done, and to try to lay out a few more holes for the park staff to do further work on.

It was a pleasant drive. We took the Corvair convertible, with the top down, and drove back roads, so about 60 percent of the roughly 40-minute drive each way was on dirt roads. On the way there, we stopped to watch some calves cavort in a field, and a pair of Sand Hill Cranes flew right over us, very low, as we were driving.

When we arrived at the park, and there were lots of bicyclists going in and out for a charity biking event. At the entrance the official was a ranger I had met before. As she waved us through, she called out: "I hope you have bug spray" Uh-oh.

We parked by hole 1, which is in the boat launch parking area. We walked to the two orange flags marking the tee and set our bags down and began to walk up the fairway so that Andy could see where the flag marking the pin was, because we wanted to throw each of these first 9 holes to get a feel for what tweaking might be needed. We didn't get more than 40-50 feet along when it felt like we were walking into a sandstorm. Thousands of bugs were just throwing their bodies at us with such energy that they were hitting our skin and bouncing off. Seriously the worst bugs I have seen in Michigan - ever. (Yes, worse than that one time at Grand Woods!)

We ran back to the car, grabbed a spray can of spray, and then ran to the middle of the asphalt parking lot to spray down. I really hate having that stuff on me, but I soaked in it.

Then we walked/ran the 9 holes and threw some drives. I left two discs (Z-Storms) behind because, even with the spray, I would not take the time to look in the bushes when surrounded by such swarms!

We did not mark any new holes. We were lucky to finish the roughed-out 9, but I have some mental notes to share with the staff at the park about more clearing to be done on those. This will be a nice, fun course. Very evenly balanced for left- and right-handers and we're even got one hole with some nice elevation change, throwing downhill. Hole 8 is intended to be a hanging basket.

I don't know how we will get the second 9 in this year, though, as they are all in heavy woods and with the leaves out on the trees and shrubs, it's next to impossible to envision as-yet-uncleared fairways. And, I am NOT going back out there under those buggy conditions.

We left, drove home via a route I had not yet used (mostly dirt roads) and then headed to spend the rest of the day at the Femillz tournament.

[JFoor321]

"that one time at grand woods" sounds like everytime @ Willow May thur Aug...

[Ben Calhoun]

worse than that one time at grand woods? the time people quit because they were bleeding from scratching? I dunno about that