Dubuque, IA

Dubuque Veterans Memorial Park

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3.895(based on 22 reviews)
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15 0
mrbro855
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 10.5 years 363 played 105 reviews
4.50 star(s)

As good as advertised!!

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 3, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

This was course #7 on a 3 day trip from St Louis to Dubuque and back. It was also course #350 on the way to that DG Review 500 level medallion (Is that still a thing on this new designed site??) Just for reference purposes, milestone courses #250 and #300 were Harmony Bends and Eagles Crossing in MO, respectively. And Veteran's Memorial was worthy of its milestone placement!!

Jumping into the Pros:
The usual: Concrete pads, solid baskets, tee signs, benches, and trash cans. Well maintained course throughout. And then....

What a wide array of shot shaping that took place!!
1) Downhill dog leg left
2) Blind dog leg right
3) Slight dog leg right through tree tunnel
4) Downhill slight dog leg left. and
so it progressed with shots in both directions in addition to the handful of tee shots that needed to be straight.

Elevation was definitely ample and put to use with shots both downhill as well as uphill, one of which was the finishing basket #18.

While this course definitely plays through the woods, it had relatively navigable fairways that were, with the exception of #15, at least 10 yards wide and open all the way to your landing spot. Now, if you missed to either direction, you were in the woods. Basket #15 was the only hole that had trees across the fairway that forced you to pick a spot to get through.

Feature hole? 14 caught my attention. A steep uphill throw of about 200 ft with the basket about 40 feet further dog leg left. But the huge, picturesque tree that consumes most of the hilltop to the right of the basket was postcard worthy!!

Cons:

The are only 2 cons that comes to mind as I write this several days (and 8 courses played after!!). First is the layout of the 13 through16 tee boxes and baskets. The map was sort of accurate, but there was some crossover of fairways to get where you needed to be, as well as a minor bit of searching. (14's sign was a bit behind and to the side of the elevated tee pad, which I didn't initially see due to the angle)
and second was the walk back up the hill of #1 fairway when you finished to get back to the parking lot. That said, there may have been a narrow trail through the woods that I did not see before trudging this 60+ y/o body back up that hill!!

Other Thoughts:

One of the locals told my son Monday night that Veteran's Memorial was the go-to course in the area. Was already the course I had planned for the milestone achievement. I had high expectations coming here, the course exceeded those expectations.
For me at my age and ability, this was as enjoyable a course as any I have ever played. Had the flow of that 13 through 16 been a bit cleaner, I may have gone with a 5 rating. Still, for me, it was phenomenal (4.5)
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16 0
wolfhaley
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 19.9 years 970 played 542 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 13, 2023 Played the course:once

Pros:

Dubuque Veterans Memorial Park is home to an outstanding 18 hole disc golf course. It's by far the best option in Dubuque, and really the best within an hour or longer. The course plays in the wooded section of the park to the west/northwest of the parking lot. Seems to be a popular course, for good reason.

The baskets here are older yellow banded Innova Discatchers. They're showing their age by the looks of them, but these are Discatchers. Seemingly indestructable. We had zero issues with any of these here. They caught great and are still plenty visible in the shade of the woods. One basket but at least two, sometimes three and possibly more pin placements on every hole.

The tee pads are concrete. All of which are now level (thanks BTL), Nice and grippy, and are much appreciated on a hilly landscape like this one. One tee pad per hole but the multiple pin placements alleviate the lack of longer/shorter pads. No complaints with these.

The terrain is fantastic for a course. It's hilly to be sure, but not overwhelmingly so. It's well balanced as far as uphill, downhill and flat. The design is well done and evolving/improving everyday. I've only played here once but seeing the different pin positions makes me want to go back again to play some of the others as they'd make the hole play quite a bit differently.

Designwise the flow is pretty simple to follow. There's a couple longer walks to the next hole, but it's always pretty obvious due to the wooded nature of the course. There's really only one way to go anyway. The course starts right by the parking lot and ends about as close is feasible. There's a benches and trash cans located in numerous spots throughout, both of which are much appreciated.

Tee signs on every hole. Basic info on each. Hole #, map, par and distance. More than adequete here.

The course is permanent, free to play and in fantastic shape. I seen on some older reviews about the rough being pretty punishing. While it can be in spots, this has been addressed and cleaned up quite a bit from what I understand. I almost laughed out loud about the rough being untenable compared to some of my local courses. This place is well kept. Like real well.

Cons:

The tee signs don't have all the different pin placements currently from what I remember. I was told they're in the process of getting some new ones. This would definitely benefit the travelling player like myself.

There's a couple holes that essentially share the same fairway. Holes 7 and 11 currently do. Actually do I should say. They do throw in the same direction though so you're not in the line of fire here. Holes 8 and 9 play in opposite directions but perpendicular to each other.

The creekside holes have some pretty treacherous dropoffs if you miss the fairway. Like lost disc potential cliffs. The rough down there doesn't look friendly either.

Not a con per se, but this course seems to get a lot of play. So it isn't going to be the quickest round you're going to play.

Other Thoughts:

This course had been on my radar for awhile but I'd just never made it down there before a couple weeks ago. It was rated pretty high so that piqued my interest. I had the opportunity to play it with the guy doing a lot of the legwork out here and see it from that perspective.

That being said, I'm still going to rate the course how I see it. That's what I do. It's a solid 4. Easily. That's excellent.

I played 34 courses on a trip from central WI down to Iowa City and Davenport back up through Dubuque in a week. I'd rank only Camden II and possibly Fuller Park in Muscatine IA above this. I'd play this over West Lake 8 days out of the week. Must play if you're near here. Loved it.
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5 1
Johnsondere
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 8.7 months 136 played 83 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Love/Hate Relationship

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 29, 2019 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Lots of elevation changes throughout the course.
- Rotating pin positions.
- Straightforward to navigate.
- Benches and garbage bins on each hole.
- Well maintained by the city and club.

Cons:

- Some tee signs need some refreshing.
- Baskets are showing signs of age.
- Woods gets pretty gnarly, stay on the fairway!

Other Thoughts:

Overall a very solid course. The club has been working hard to get improvements to the course since I have last played it!
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18 0
EspressoPatronum
Gold level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 18.6 years 232 played 223 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Still One of my Favorites 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 7, 2020 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- phenomenal elevation change for the midwest
- variety of open and technical holes with high challenge
- significant distance on most holes
- some holes have options for multiple basket placements
- benches and garbage cans at many holes
- some water hazards with creek running throughout course (often dry, but can be heavy after rain)
- high risk, high reward shots near ravine
- baskets in good repair
- large, quality concrete tees on every hole
- navigation is pretty straightforward with map, otherwise can be slightly confusing
- tight fairways on most holes will force you to make the right shot

Cons:

- tee signs are starting to show their age and could use a refresh
- undergrowth on wooded areas can be thick and lead to a lot of lost discs
- very challenging for beginners (not really a true con to me, but could be frustrating)

Other Thoughts:

I'm up to 68 courses played in 10 states, and this is still probably one of my top 5. Dubuque Veteran's Memorial Park has gained a bit of popularity but still is relatively removed from town. It's a very nice park that always seems pretty well maintained in the 15 years or so I've been playing it. While the original tee signs are starting to show some definite wear, the rest of the course looks much the same as I remember.

The real game changer here is the incredible elevation differences. Players from other locales may not think much of it, but this course has fantastic uphill and downhill shots for a midwest course. There's a large ravine on the course where you can really eat it if you aren't careful with your shot. It's definitely going to be challenging for beginners (heck, for intermediate players too) but that's part of the fun. You should expect that you will get to know some of the trees on this course very intimately unless your accuracy is well beyond mine.

Most of the fairways are tight and technical and force you to use a variety of shots in your arsenal. I highly, highly recommend having a spotter or two and scouting ahead as people are throwing. All too often you'll think you know exactly where your disc went and spend half an hour looking for it. The undergrowth can be wicked at times in the woods. We played in November thinking it would have died back a bit, and it had - but there were tons of leaves on the ground instead. We lost one disc I'm pretty sure would have been in plain view if not for falling leaves. This comes with the territory and is part of the allure of the course, in my opinion.

There are no bathrooms but most of the other amenities (benches, trash cans, concrete tees) are in pretty good shape. The grass always seems to be well mown despite being a huge job. Most of the holes are fairly long with a few exceptions.

If you are in the area, I highly recommend checking out this course. It will push your game and is a nice walk through the park as well. It can get muddy in places if it has been really wet but in general is not bad at all (unless you go down the ravine!).
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1 9
mdeeter
Experience: 11.8 years 109 played 4 reviews
3.00 star(s)

Some good and some bad 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 13, 2017 Played the course:2-4 times

Pros:

Has some interesting technical holes And some well planned fairways.

Cons:

Many of the tee pads are terrible... Broken or falling down a hill.
Some fairways come close to other fairways.
Hard to navigate.

Other Thoughts:

It's a decent course but it has just a few too many issues to be rated higher than 3 (imo).
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2 5
BuiltTooLong
Experience: 21 years 182 played 3 reviews
5.00 star(s)

Must Play 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jan 29, 2017 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Excellent Mix of shots
-Great catching Innova Discatcher baskets
-Extraordinarily fair fairways, -no poke and hope garbage
-Lots of risk reward scenarios
-Tons of elevation
-Beautiful scenic views
-Garbage & Recycling cans at every teepad
-Wonderfully Secluded and tranquil

Cons:

-Teepads are long and solid but often slanted
-A few holes somewhat intersect dangerously
-No true par 4s or 5s

Other Thoughts:

A must play if remotely close to the area. Doesn't get stale after playing several rounds and leaves you wanting the challenge again and again.

Course would most likely have to be adjusted on a few holes for a tournament to comply w/PDGA safety standards
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13 0
Stardoggy
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 12.6 years 1002 played 214 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Super fun, kinda annoying. 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 22, 2016 Played the course:once

Pros:

18 hole course located in a pretty disc golf secluded spot in Veteran's Park.

Innova Discatcher baskets, all mounted decent and work well. They're the old bar stamp version, but still performed decent enough, especially given their age. One pin position on most holes, with a few exceptions. Some of the pin positions were fantastic, with many high risk/reward putting runs.

Wonderful rolling hills just about everywhere on this course. I love uphill and downhill shots, and there are plenty here. It's more unusual for there to NOT be some elevation on a hole here. Nothing too crazy, but a lot of fun.

Most holes are relatively tight and tree-lined (which I happen to love). You'll be forced to throw a specific line on many holes, with some hero type shots available on some. Very few of the fairways are what most people would consider luck type shots. Also, there is usually enough space that different types of shots could be utilized, within those same windows.

Navigation is relatively easy, with decent signage at each hole. For as separate as most of the holes feel, there was some good work done to fit this many quality shots into a smaller space. There's a couple spots where several holes kind of live in the same space, but it wasn't a huge deal for us on a beautiful Sunday morning. I suspect there just isn't that much disc golf traffic in Dubuque.

There's a couple spots where you may have to lift, but as a whole, very cart friendly.

While there's nothing crazy long, or hugely bomber-ish, there's plenty of distance variation, especially when you factor in the elevation changes.

The rough here is solid. Discs shouldn't disappear too often, but you're appropriately punished for going in.

Concrete tees, plenty long and grippy. More on this below.

Cons:

While the concrete tees here are decent enough in form, they suffer quite a bit in function. Basically any hole that has any sort of non-flat start, is going to have a tee pad that's on a slant. Many of these are NOT minor, and will greatly alter the way you throw. This is a major con for me, and if these tees were graded out to level, my score on this course would instantly bump up a half disc. I don't much care what material a tee pad is, so long as it is flat and level...and these only fill half that bill. Call me a tee snob if you will, but it irked the hell outta me.

There are a few spots where the holes are really packed in together. It's easy to figure out, navigation-wise, but I'd imagine any sort of tournament here could turn into a pretty good cluster @#$#.

It felt like there were just a couple too many hard right to left doglegs. Not a huge con, but something that definitely stood out to me.

Other Thoughts:

There's a ton to like about this course. The throwing is fantastic, and if you can get over the tees, there's really not much to dislike about it. Hole 1 is a really, really nice opening hole, and can set the mood for your round. The golf isn't CRAZY hard, but it's going to be a decent challenge for most players.

For an area with not a ton of options, this is super solid. Definitely worth the spin (or several) while you're in the area.
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4 0
DrewbieDoobieDoo
Experience: 10.8 years 253 played 19 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Mar 21, 2015 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-Great elevation changes
-variety of tee shots needed, you will get a chance to use most discs/throws
-Multiple pin locations
-fun and challenging terrain
-clean park with signs at each tee, garbage cans, benches
-pretty secluded from other areas of park and neighboring high school

Cons:

-many tee pads are set at awkward angles because of the hills
-easy to lose discs on some holes
-tough beginner course
-brush lining fairways can get thick and unkempt at times, but usually not a problem
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5 0
Gory Lobotomist
Experience: 2 played 2 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Challenging course 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 22, 2014 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-huge variety of holes (shots)
-Well maintained
-Plenty of benches
-Private area
-Friendly locals
-Lots of elevation changes
-Tough tight lines

Cons:

-Lots of heavy wooded areas
-Easy to loose dic on the blind holes
-A lot of alleys to throw down

Other Thoughts:

I love playing vets. It is a huge challenge for me and I feel the more you play this course the better you will get at all aspects of the game. This course is very tight, with limited opportunities to really bomb disc, but the terrain is super nice, and the elevation changes make for some tough shots! I usually like to play with another person out here, there are a lot of blind shots with heavy woods. Overall, this is my go to course.
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7 0
Horsman
Gold level trusted reviewer
Experience: 17.6 years 222 played 100 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Beautiful Course 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Oct 16, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

- Great use of the piece of land given for the course

- Great use of the change in elevation

- There are some nice shoter and longer technicle holes as well as a nice mix of a liitle more open bomber holes.

- The flow from hole to hole is very easy to figure out.

-If you are a fanof a lot of tunnel shots then this is a course for you.

- Field next to the course were you can do some field work

- Practice Basket

- Easy Parking

Cons:

- Some of the teepads are at some wierd angles, so that can throw you off a bit.

- Might not be the most beginner friendly course with a lot of the holes being unreachable off the tee for some.

- The are a lot of blind shots, so a spotter sometimes is a must.

Other Thoughts:

I absolutely love playing this course. It has a lot of elevation change that you have to play up it, down it, on the side of it and I absolutely love that. It is a very underated course to me and is one that I think should get some more foot traffic because it really is a lot of fun to play.
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6 0
wilhelmschmitt
Experience: 4.8 years 3 played 2 reviews
4.50 star(s)

Great course, challenging but very rewarding. 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:May 21, 2013 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

-very technical, you need to bring all your shots
-great use of elevation
-very satisfying to get birdies on this course
-great course for intermediate to advanced
-beautifully maintained
-holes12-15 are the most fun and biggest challenge
-practice basket (aka hole 19)
-great signage, benches

Cons:

-If you miss the fairway you are in thick woods. Prepare to get a little scraped up.
-Tough course for beginners
-Not difficult to lose a disc
-slanted tees
-some drainage issues, specifically the right side of hole 1
-ravine on hole 13 (also a plus, offers a good challenge)
-often very narrow fairways with thick woods lining

Other Thoughts:

I love playing this course, it really helps improve your game. It is for sure tough to shoot under par on this course, but incredibly satisfying when you do. It is a frustrating course for beginners, especially because everything besides fairway is thick woods. I have lost a few discs here, but whatever. On the whole, this course is a great one to improve your game a lot. You really get a chance to use every shot you have. Best played multiple times to learn how to shoot it right.
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7 1
bygwyllay
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 16.9 years 93 played 77 reviews
3.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 17, 2012 Played the course:once

Pros:

This course really offers a lot!

Massive elevation changes on half of the holes, both uphill and down. Some really nicely designed fairways that make for a very challenging round. Well placed pins that offer tough approaches. Dual pin placements too! They really alter your shot. Not a simple "Pin B is 50 feet further down from Pin A". You can see the effort put in by the designers.

Pristine signage throughout, marking off distance as well as a fairway map, noting the multiple pin positions.

Trash cans were available and there were even a few benches at some of the tees. Literally NO litter that I could see. Course was extremely well maintained as well it should be! Grass was torched but with the drought conditions it was to be expected. (I played on a 100 degree day).

Cons:

The course plays up and down a fairly steep hill, with the holes running back and forth along the incline. As a result, most fairways are hopelessly sloped and are a real pain in dealing with rollaways as well as doing a number on your feet. Tee pads are sloped as well, following the terrain - make sure you compensate for this when driving or you will pay.

Brutal schoal lining tight fairways isn't very inviting, either. A few holes had almost impossible lines (looking at you #11 and 15). Some blind holes sprinkled in as well make this a dreadnaught of a course, especially when played solo. Overall I felt the majority of the holes were claustrophobic and made for a very tense round. The only place where you can relax and rip is hole #1, and even then you'd better not stray.

Navigation is fairly easy although disorienting your first time through. There are several open areas that have multiple tees in them and in one instance two tees even use the same fairway! A few "next tee" signs couldn't hurt, but for the most part the course flows well and maximizes the land available.

Other Thoughts:

I found myself dissapointed in this course, especially as it is the only one in the greater Dubuque area. The cons I list above really suck all of the fun out of your round, and I found myself playing it safe on every hole, rather than trying to take a chance or two. By the end of my round I was mentally drained, and not in a good way. It is a very challenging course and I think would be fun with a group of three or more. Definitely play with a partner at least so you have a spotter. While the design is intriguing, the execution left a little to be desired. Still, DVMP is a very solid course and worth one's time.
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7 0
puttlikeablowfly
Experience: 23.7 years 139 played 16 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Marble in a wooden labyrinth maze 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 6, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

* Nice masonry disc golf sign welcomes visitors to the park
* Practice basket, although I thought it might have been #18 until we played ... you could make a 19th hole of the walk back up the hill from #18, which ends near #1 basket
* Concrete tees (also see "cons") with nice tee signs
* Lots and lots of elevation changes
* Good variety of hole lengths, except for lack of big bomber
* Plently of holes that dictate hyzers, anhyzers, or straight shots
* If you like woods, you'll love this course
* #12 - #15 is a fun stretch of holes
* Challenging but attractive layout
* Many holes require proper placement of layup shots
* Alternate placements on many holes
* Numerous trash cans (not every hole, but frequent); I took one empty bottle off the side of a fairway, but otherwise it appeared pretty clean
* Good course for intermediate and advanced players

Cons:

* As others have mentioned, many teepads are sloped, but in all honestly, it wasn't as big of an impact as I expected
* A couple of baskets were damaged (bottom baskets or pole ... chains seemed fine)
* Perhaps too many blind shots that require you to walk up a ways for a look (I wished I had seen the ditch behind #17 basket first!)
* Only one tee per hole, which makes it more difficult to accommodate range of abilities
* Beginners may find it too difficult, while big arms and highly skilled players may wish for a few more opportunities for drives
* Since almost every hole is lined with woods on both sides, there are not a lot of options
* #13 is dangerous if there are other players in the area, in that the fairway threads through the a small area that contains #15 basket and #16 tee
* #7 & #11 share a fairway for the first part of the holes, but the tees are close and the holes play in the same direction

Other Thoughts:

I'm having a hard time choosing between a 3.5 and a 4 for this course. There is a lot to like. The elevation change found on this course is fantastic. The woods make it very challenging. Referencing the title of my review, I felt like I was the marble in that wooden labyrinth maze game where you tilt the board with two wheels and move the marble along the path without falling in the holes. You're always moving up and down, left and right, and while the woods confine you to the path, there are pits to avoid.

After some relfection, I'm giving it a four, mainly because I think I would enjoy the course more after I've played it a few times. I'll admit that I played some shots a little more conservatively than I would once I was more familiar with the course. Mainly, the woods look very intimidating and are indeed pretty thick in some places, but we were able to find errant shots pretty quickly. Many of the holes are unreachable for me, and some pin locations are tucked into narrow paths and /or around sharp corners. Thus, the challenge is to learn where to place the tee shot in order to give the proper angle for the putt or approach. You also have to think twice about your aggressiveness on some shots, as the hills, ditches and ravines can offer a severe penalty if your disc comes in with some heat. In the end, the cons are relatively minor (except for the safety issue), so I'm going with a 4. Keep in mind that the course was empty when I played, so if there were more people, the safety issues and the close proximity of many of the holes might have weighed on my mind more.
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6 0
mykeg44
Silver level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.8 years 72 played 45 reviews
4.00 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Apr 30, 2011 Played the course:once

Pros:

Veterans Memorial is an excellent course with a ton of variety that will challenge pretty much any player.

The course plays through a hilly, wooded area of the park that is secluded from other park activities. Other than some noise from the nearby soccer and baseball fields, the course has a peaceful nature vibe.

The strongest aspect of the course is the use of elevation throughout the course. Combined with the trees that form and occasionally dot the fairways, there is consistent and effective use of the landscape throughout the course.

The course is challenging right out of the gate, with a long hyzer on #1, then a twisting downhill shot with a water hazard past the pin on #2, probably my favorite shot of the course.

From there you go through the woods, and move to the highest elevation in the park on 6-9, where there are some great views of the surrounding area. You get the chance to rip it a few times in this section, with the course's two longest shots (375 and 400).

From here the course zig zags through the woods. You'll have to use almost every shot in your bag at varying spots on this course, which leads to a fun and sometimes frustrating round. It plays fairly RHBH heavy, but you'll pay the price if you don't have an anny and an overhead shot.

The course was very clean, with garbage cans throughout. The baskets were in good shape and caught well, and the sings are very user friendly.

Cons:

The most glaring flaw, and others have mentioned it, is the sloped teepads. About 75% of the teepads are not flat and either sloped uphill or to the side. This really messes with your run up, which effected my shot multiple times. You'll definitely want to take a practice run before you throw to get used to the feel of throwing from whatever angle the pad is sloped to.

4 and especially 5 were boring filler holes that did not live up to the rest of the course.

Some of the tee signs are a little bit misleading and cannot be trusted on blind shots. Because of this I'd advise walking the hole before throwing. #6 comes to mind immediately, but I had the same problem in a couple spots. Some holes have alternative pins and the signs don't specify when the alternates are put in place. Also, not really a con, but the posted par is pretty brutal on a couple holes.

Other Thoughts:

Dubuque's course is a legit 4-star that is both fun and challenging. The flaws don't really detract much from the experience as there is a lot here to enjoy. Well done to the designers and DG players of Dubuque.
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8 1
koogs
Bronze level trusted reviewer
Experience: 14.6 years 130 played 19 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Kicked my butt 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Sep 5, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

Excellent variety in a very hilly, wooded setting. Seemed like almost as many right turning holes as left turning. Big uphill and downhill holes. Narrow and straight as well as more wide open with well placed obstacles. The more throws you can make, the better. Even your lesser used shots like rollers could come in handy here.
Concrete pads, decent tee signs, baskets were all in good shape. Trash cans and benches were seen often enough.

Cons:

Some of the tee pads were sloped badly, maybe the worst I've ever played on. I didn't think this would be as much of a problem as it turned out to be.
Navigation was definitely not easy. Crisscrossing fairways and shared fairways and sometimes there were baskets seemingly in the fairways other than the basket you're shooting for. Not a great layout.
If you throw into the rough, be prepared to get scratched up a little. Everything seemed to have thorns on it.

Other Thoughts:

I played this course with my son, which really helped as far as spotting on the blind holes. Playing it solo would be a nightmare.
Another reviewer said that every hole could yield a deuce, but I can't see that at all. This was a very tough course. Maybe I just had a bad day, but according to my scorecard, this was the toughest course I've ever played. But, despite how poorly I played the course, I really liked it and if it weren't so far away, I'd play it again, soon, to try and get my revenge on it.
If not for the sloped tee pads and the confusing layout, I would give it a 4, but those issues made it a 3.5 for me.
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7 0
harr0140
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 15.2 years 1508 played 475 reviews
3.50 star(s)

Great design great challenge, but requires too much luck 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 28, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

1) Large concrete tees are necessary on this course.

2) Discatcher baskets are in good shape and catch well.

3) Benches and garbage cans available in sports throughout the course.

4) Nice bridge and steps going from #2 to 3. Well dont craftsmanship for a disc golf course.

5) Nice big concrete sign pointing to the disc golf course is a welcome sign as you pull in.

6) Practice basket is available in the valley near #1 tee.

7) This course will challenge all skill levels. There are many places where beginners will struggle. Some really tight fairways surrounded by really thick buckthorn ons loping fairways lead to a whole bunch of trouble.

8) You will need to bring every shot in your bag. some short holes, some long, some range from fairly open to really tight. You need to work the discs both directions so have a straight throw, hyzer, and an anny or flick will go a long ways here.

Cons:

1) Buckthorn along the fairways is thick and creates all sorts of problems. If you don't keep it in the fairway be prepared to search for your discs and also be prepared to just throw out a few times around. In my opinion this is the biggest issue I have with this course.

2) Sloping compacted soil fairways create all sorts of rollaways. This is also a big issue on a lot of shots. This creates a situation where controlled mid range shots are going to do better than threading the needle with your drivers. While this is ok, it becomes a negative in my opinion because it makes luck too much of a factor in scoring here.

3) Many of the teepads are on uneven surfaces. They have slopes which really alter your arm angles. It is something I am not really used to, nor do I know how to adapt to sloped teepads.

4) There are many places where you could easily get lost on your own. Directional signage would be helpful in multiple locations because of the confusing layout in a few spots. Fortunately they do have tee signs that you can at least figure out where you are.

5) I had to walk down fairways to find some baskets because they are blind and I wanted to know where I was throwing. Blind holes are ok on occassion but it is nice to have maps on the tee signs that help you figure out where the baskets are. Alternate pin positions are also not indicated.

6) There are a few locations where there are tees and baskets in close proximity to throwing lanes. SOme are on errant teeshots but there are also some shots that on the intended line you might be in danger on another hole.

7) Erosion around some teepads and other areas on this course are a problem. There are some major dranage issues in a few spots.

Other Thoughts:

This is a great course because it presents a challenge for everyone. Beginners might not want to play here because they will be very frustrated by errant shots, searching for discs, and just the overall challenge. The maintenance of the fairways was sufficient especially since the area has had a lot of rain this summer.

I wanted to give this course a 4, because it is well designed, fun to make the required shots, but the luck issue plays too much of a role in your score here. The teepads and some of the erosion problems are also enough to force me to give this a 3.5 The locals won't like this rating, but it will means it is in my top 50 or so courses (out of 200). I simply think that the issues are enough to knock this course down.
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5 0
notapro
Diamond level trusted reviewer
Premium Member
Experience: 20.6 years 568 played 281 reviews
4.00 star(s)

Intermediate 2+ years

Reviewed: Played on:Jul 10, 2010 Played the course:once

Pros:

- Course is set in a heavily wooded and very hilly section of the park. It is well separated and used only for DG.
- Makes great use of the hilly terrain so each hole is unique, both to each other as well as other courses in general. One hole is an extremely sloped upshot, with the basket tucked away to the right on top of the hill. I have seen sled hills that pale in comparison. Another hole is a "spiral staircase"; it curves the entire time down and to the right, in a genuine spiral path. A great mix of uphill and downhill shots, to the point that flat holes were even good to see.
- Definitely demands a lot of different shots needed at this course. Holes generally only have one path to take, whether left, right, or straight. A good amount of extreme curves as well as some gentler ones, and some very tight straight shots.
- The amount of woods in each hole is just right, I thought. Nearly every hole is set in the forested area, very few wide open shots. Some holes had wider, more forgiving fairways while others were very tight. It seemed the fairway width/height was purposely made for each hole. One of the long bomber holes has a wider one, while the shorter ones were tighter.
- Some tricky basket locations with rollaway potential. It is good to know where you are throwing beforehand, if possible.
- Practice basket in a good spot to try a lot of different putts (uphill, downhill, around vegetation).
- Good teepads, tee signs, and baskets.

Cons:

- The layout of this course is simply horrible. There are teepads nearly within the circle of a nearby basket, sometimes even blind. Two of the holes share a fairway, which also hurts. Navigation and identifying the correct basket can also be a nightmare, as the course zigzags back around itself many times. I think they did a great job with the holes themselves, but the course itself is jumbled and dangerous.
- All of the holes are par 3's, with only one hole at 400'. I think there just wasn't enough room to make it any bigger than it already is.
- Not too much variety, in that almost every holes is in the forest. There is no water in play, and no wide open bomber holes.

Other Thoughts:

- I really liked this course overall, mostly because of a handful of excellent holes and the great use of the forest environment. I felt the difficulty level was also very fair. Every hole can yield a deuce, but it takes a large variety of shots and lines and elevation navigation to get it there. Many holes where a birdie was (or would be) extremely satisfying. Players with bigger arms may feel it is a little short for their tastes, but it is perfect for me. And, even if you have the arm, you will also need the accuracy.
- That said, I think every hole can be easily parred by playing conservatively. I found myself driving with midranges more and more just to keep the disc out of the rough. It is up to the player to decide how they want to approach it, I guess.
- Course is a clinic in tight, wooded fairways. It might be lacking a little bit in the other areas, but what it does, it does well.
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2 6
dlk33
Experience: 5 played 3 reviews
3.00 star(s)

If you like narrow fairways... 2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Aug 9, 2009 Played the course:once

Pros:

Will force you to bring your A game. Decent signs/map to next hole location.

Cons:

Narrow fairways force disciplined release on all thows. You may spend lots of time searching for your disc in the woods.
Can't really rip them, have to have a controlled release.

Other Thoughts:

We enjoy trying out as many dg courses as we can, besides our main one in Madison, Wi. On an overnight trip to Dubuque to play the dogs, we had to get a round in. It was pretty muddy & wet from the big rains the day before, but nothing we couldn't handle. I landed in the rough on my first throw, and that was the most open fairway of them all. Part way through the course, while looking for another disc I threw in the woods, I got stung twice by a bee. The course was more challenging & less enjoyable then what I was hoping for & used to playing.
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7 1
DunbarTrout
Experience: 14 played 12 reviews
4.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Updated: Played on:Mar 17, 2009 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Very challenging long holes, variety of elevations. Several tough dog legs both left and right. Hones skills and confidence. Concrete tee boxes with great signage (although pins do get moved a bit on a few holes, so be wary). Baskets are great quality and the course is pretty well taken care of.

Cons:

Tight fairways can really destroy your game, particularly hole 10. Lots of deep woods and big ravines to punish a bad drive. Getting par for the course is considered an impressive feat.

Other Thoughts:

I learned how to disc on this course, one of my favorites I have ever played. Play with another person, lots of blind corners and deep woods to loose a disc and another pair of eyes really helps.
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1 7
Pinto
Experience: 20.9 years 11 played 11 reviews
4.50 star(s)

2+ years drive by

Reviewed: Played on:Nov 4, 2008 Played the course:5+ times

Pros:

Great signs, tee boxes, and upkeep of the course. It's setup more like a tougher golf course with fairway and woods. There is high challenge and variety to the holes.

Cons:

The out of bounds woods is very dense and easy to loose discs. There is a deep ditch in the woods by some holes.

Other Thoughts:

Very difficult and long!
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