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McFarland, WI

Orchard Hill Park

3.255(based on 4 reviews)
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7 0
Hammer_Time_1977
Experience: 6 played 6 reviews
4.00 star(s)

"hidden" gem

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 13, 2023 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

*great signage
*tight, compact design (short walks between most holes) - they pack in a lot of fairly challenging holes in a small amount of space
*great variety of skill levels, depending on basket / tees played (more on this below)
*usually not very busy - I've played 18 holes in under an hour before
*great use of trees to raise the difficulty level, because based on raw distance alone, this would not be a very difficult course
*portapotty between holes 1 and 9 (and it doesn't smell awful)

Cons:

*there are some spots with some fairly rough ground, with little stumps sticking out of the ground (possible tripping hazards) and holes made by critters that you could potentially twist an ankle on - watch your step!
*no water on site (pack your own!)

Other Thoughts:

I've been playing disc golf in the Madison area for over two decades and just finally got around to playing this course in 2023! I love it. I've played it four or five times and only one of those times did I ever have to wait for anyone. It's usually not very busy.

I really like the variation in skill level that you can experience based on which tees and baskets you use. Short tees to red baskets is a layout where even a rather mediocre player like me can manage to end up under par. Long tees to blue baskets, I'm lucky to end up at +5! So it makes quite a difference. There is also a HUGE amount of variation on some holes, depending on which baskets you go for, and the reds (shorter) are not universally easier than the blues. Hole 7 is a good example of this. The blue basket is about twice the distance as the red, but the red is surrounded by an absurd number of guardian trees, so it's pretty challenging whichever basket you choose. Very unique hole.

Another standout hole for me is 4, especially when playing to the blue basket. Long tee to blue basket is possibly one of the most challenging holes I've ever played, especially as a person who almost always throws RHBH off the tee. I'm still trying to figure out the bet way to play it, I keep vacillating between a forehand roller and a RHBH with an understable (Archangel). It's long, and has a lot of trees. Very challenging.

Holes 1-3 are pretty basic, fairly easy to par or even birdie, but then starting with 4 every hole has tree placements that force certain choices - they're not just wide open, long shots like you get a lot at some of the other area courses. They definitely make up for the relative lack of distance by using trees to increase the difficulty.

I highly recommend this course, but not gonna lie, I kinda hope it stays less popular.
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11 0
Vince W
Experience: 14 years 174 played 11 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Perfect use of land

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Aug 1, 2022 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

-Great new baskets (2 per hole)
-Concrete teepads (2 per hole)
-Beautiful scenery and fairways
-Great tee signs
-Good use of elevation
-Plenty of parking
-Plenty of challenge
-Good layout for beginners and pros
-Pretty simple to follow layout
-Secluded park

Cons:

-Pay to play for 9 holes (arguably 18)
-Lot of ankle rolling possible with apples everywhere
-High rough areas if you throw way off in the woods.

Honestly couldn't think of much more

Other Thoughts:

This course was hard to come with up many cons. It's a fantastic use of the property with some fun golf to be played. There is great challenge with some technical lines in the wooded area. There is good mix of ups, downs, lefts, and rights, all depending on the layout you chose. With having two teepads and two baskets per hole, this course could be argued as 18. The tee signs and tee pads are excellent. You can tell there was a lot of work put into this course, especially with many raised tees and raised greens. There even is a legit par 4; 600+ foot shot with some technical lines. I typically wouldn't give a 9 hole course a 4 disc rating, but this one deserves it with having different layouts and an overall great disc golf experience. If you're in the area looking to bag another course, definitely give this one a shot. This is a great addition to the Madison area for spreading out disc golfers.
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