Pros:
1) The parks guys that work in this park all gung ho. I am surprised they didn't want to keep building more holes. Perhaps some more land will be available for a few more holes and to help expand the red fox course. There seems to be enough land to make the red fox course twice as long and much safer than it is right now. I walked the property with the main designer before the pins and tee locations were finalized and within a week they were already prepping the tees, cutting down tons and tons of buckthorn, clearing around some basket locations and within about 6 weeks of my walk through the course was ready for its opening! Not all of the long positions were in as of right now (I don't think), unless under all those garbage cans were the sleeves. Regardless this whole operation from design to implementation should be the model for people pitching DG courses to their local municipalities. The designer declared the parks workers to be BY FAR THE MOST COOPERATIVE HARD WORKING PEOPLE he has ever had to deal with in implementing DG courses.
2) This park is absolutely beautiful. It is set on a diverse property with rolling terrain from wooded, wide open, and also the moderately wooded park like setting. It is ery clear that Kenosha county takes a lot of pride in thispark too because the amount of maintenance they are doing for the DG course as well as the rest of the park is clearly more than most other parks I have seen (especially compared to the recent changes (monthly mowing and obviously massive cutbacks) in park maintenance at the Milwaukee County Parks system).
3) This park as a whole has three levels of disc golf on 3 seperate 9 hole courses. It is clear they knew what they were doing when the decided to divide the 18 hole course into 2 nines and when added to the original red fox 9 there are three very different nine hole courses for abosolutely everyone to enjoy.
4) The installation of the teepads was well thoguht out. The excavation was done perfectly, the pads are large and trapezoidal which are my favorites. Then after the concrete was poured they brough in soil leveled things off and sodded the first strip around every pad ( that sits in turf areas). This was a great idea because the seed would have never made it and the whole area would just fill with weeds so now at least there will be good turf around the teepads.
5) Mulch was used very effectively to soften the ground, cover bare soil, and prevent erosion. With the amount of clearing they had to do for a few baskets I am sure they were able to just mulch all those trees up and lay the chips ont he ground. What great use of on site materials!
6) Awesome variety in distances on holes. Long pins are generally much longer than short pins. The range on distances goes from 173 up to 386 for the short pins and from 218 up to 520 for the long pins. What an awesome selection of holes to play and you are guaranteed to need all your shots in your bag!
7) Posts by every tee, massive trapezoidal concrete pads, garbage cans intermittantly through the course, new baskets with homemade # plates attached to the top of the baskets, dual pins, soda machine and bathrooms between #15 and #16, scorecards available for each 9 hole course with distances and course map on them, plenty of parking for a course fairly removed from the metro area. WHat more could you ask for . . . well a map of each hole at the teepad but thats it!
Cons:
1) #1 is a little bit goofy to me mainly because the shrubs that are on the left of the shor t pin are ornamentals (meaning shrubs I wouldnt want to get destroyed by discs). The long pin on #1 is a really tight (both side to side and up and down). It almost seems like a little more clearing should be done to create somewhat of a defined fairway. I don't want it to be too easy, just more clearly defined.
2) #2 would be a lot better if the tee was backed up to the woods near #1 shot pin. That is where the designer and I wanted to tuck it, so we moved the stake back there, but by the time the designer talked to the parks guys they had already begun to prep #2 tee. I can't fault them for their hard work or their ambition, so it isn't a huge deal, and most likely if dual tees go in anywhere, that will likely be the first one to go in because it makes it a much better hole.
3) Lots and lots of buckthorn on the property and I know the course is new so hopefully some of the woodlines get beaten down, or the parks guys go in and thin out the buckthorn so just the natives and noninvasive stuff defines the fairways because that stuff is nasty!
4) Mosquitos are horrible, whow ould have though with the course sitting on property with the Fox River running right through the park! Oh and dense woods, that is simply no place for mosquitos to be living! Yeah right. Bring your bug spray.
5) There are a few holes that will test your shot making, and a few of the shots are really goofy. I am not saying bad design, but shots that
Other Thoughts:
All in all one of my top 5 in Wisconsin. I put it ery similar to Silver Creek, but without the views of Lake Michigan, I'd have to say that hurt this course. It is a beautiful park, but it isn't really scenic. I rank the course on the course but the peripherals really adjust my impression. I thoroughly enjoyed playing this course especially since the first time I actually played it was when there were no teepads and no baskets, but just before the parks workers began their SOLID work. It also was before a lot of the buckthorn and brush ahd filled out for the spring, so it is a much different feel now versus the springtime. I just love it!!! And it is so close to a 4.5 in my book, probably closer to a 4.25 than anything though.
DO NOT READ IF YOU DON"T LIKE COURSE RECAPS!!!
A quick rundown of the holes with some shot making required, goofy shots, or some real challenge. #3 is a tough one up the hill and to the right, #4 is also a tough one that goes to the right slightly but you have to beware of turning it over too quickly or running it into the ground. #5 actually got an opening up on the right allowing a shot at the basket with a hyzer line. I didn't see that when I walked the property in the early spring. It is certainly risk reward, but trying to anny or flick one in to the left of this opening is also an option, I just am not sure which has less risk! #6 is a tough uphill tight s curve, but the parks guys went to town on the buckthorn at the top of the hill and if you can get through the gap and onto the wood chips you can have no more than a 50' putt to either basket. It is an interesting hole and much easier with how much they opened it up, but I still like it. #7 is a tough tight s curves with a much better line for sidearms. #8 long basket is tucked around a bend. #9 could be an easy 2 or a horrible 4 on any given day. Hit any little tree on either side and you could be in for some trouble, or throw right into the buckthorn and you might struggle to get the approach near the basket (especially the long). #10 is a really tough hole to decide what to throw. There is no easy way to get near either pin. Just pick one of the lines and throw it. I tried one to the right and one up the gut (trying to go right through the tiny opening in the woods where you can see the short pin). #12 is a tight long fairway, and the long will certainly force some 5's and 6's. #13 is just a cool hole with an island woodchipped green. It is surrounded by pavement which will be OB. Lay up short of the turnaround for a 40' putt attempt, or try and thread the needle all the way down to the 30' radius green. Its tough! #14 is another long tunnel shot, but the long is tucked around a big bend in the fairway. Either pin will be tough, but the long has a chance at a rollaway down a long narrow hill! #15 is a tough hole again. Look at the arrow directing you to try and stay left of the sign. #16 is a tough tight downhiller that you need to stay up the middle to assue your par chance. A birdie in the right position will be tough!
#17 is just another awesome hole. Straight through a long tunnel and about 300' out the fairway doglegs into a more open area (which again the parks guys cleared an amazing amount of trees to create this fairway. This hole felt as much like the North Carolina or Kentucky courses I have played and that is good! #18 is just another great hole. The parks guys cleared the entire fairway except for a few large trees that you need to try and navigate. Awesome downhiller threading through trees to a turfed area with large mature oaks. Sorry for the long read, but I really felt like recapping some of the holes. I thin this is one of my favorites in Wisconsin for sure. It has everything except water and massive ski slope elevation, but it does have everything else like rolling terrain, some uphills some downhills, some tight tunnels, lots of shot making required, and more importantly risk reward. Play safe and go up the middle with stable midranges or go for the glory and throw your drivers and try and send them right up the gut. Get off the fairway and you may often be throwing back to the fairway and unable to advance very far at all.